An Accidental Tear
by SquaredCircles
Summary: Naruto loses the fight against Madara… but doesn't die? He ends up being thrust into the world of Remnant? Hunters? Grimm? Aura? Dust? Naruto needs to adapt to survive, but what happens when he can't even fit in? OOC, Naruto x Ruby
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I do not own RWBY**

 **AN:** Yo, it's me again. Naruto gets stuck in Remnant? Sounds crazy, I know. I thought it would be a fun project. I have no idea where this will take me, or if Naruto will pair up with anyone. I'll leave a poll up for you all for pairing options or no pairing.

For the sake of a possible pairing, Naruto is 17, and so is everyone else, with age differences happening accordingly. Ie. Ruby would be 15, Team CFVY would be 18, etc… people would be mad and a little freaked out if 17 year old Naruto started dating a 13 year old Ruby. Not saying that's the pairing, just saying.

Naruto will be… overpowered yes, but it was either that or younger Naruto, and younger Naruto just didn't feel right for some reason. He will know Rasengan, Rasenshuriken, a few different seals (nothing stupidly crazy), Shadow Clones (duh), Sage Mode, and his Nine Tailed Cloak used during the final battle against Madara and the Bijuu.

He will be mature, but kind as he always is. Basically how he is in Boruto the Movie with a few tweaks. I won't get everything perfect.

His outfit is the same as in Boruto the Movie except he also has two pouches strapped to his thighs.

Kyuubi. The fox works with Naruto, helping him since they have since reached an agreement that it's more beneficial to work together than work alone.

Obviously there will be some OOC ness. NOT CANON. Don't expect me to follow the RWBY plotline, cause I don't want to. Also, I don't have to. It is fanFICTION :) Anyways, I'm done rambling. Welcome to An Accidental Tear, I hope you enjoy.

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 **Chapter 1: Remnant?**

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Falling. That was the last thing he remembered. He didn't really recall what or who made him fall, but he remembered feeling tired, exhausted. Something he hadn't felt in a long while.

Now though? Well, he didn't exactly know where here was, so he couldn't answer that question. Was he angry? Not really. Was he sad? Kind of, but mostly because he was lost. Was he confused? Nothing was more true. Seriously, when did the world go pitch black?

He looked around, doing his best to take what surroundings he could see. A long black road, cracked and chipped bricks laying in a strange pattern. The water, he assumed it was water, churned slowly, lightly slapping the sides of the road… that was it. He couldn't see another thing in sight. A road, and only two directions to go.

He sighed in distress. Was it his fate to hit every unthinkable thing in the world before he became Hokage? Chuckling lightly at his own words, he chose to go right and started walking.

Fate. It reminded him of Neji. The boy was a giant block of pride and anger, that is, until Naruto beat him. After that, Neji seemed to soften, occasionally smiling with his friends, treating Hinata better than he had before, even training harder to become a better ninja. While Naruto had never told anyone, he was proud of his friend for trying to be a better person.

Soon his thoughts turned to the rest of his friends. Sasuke, the arrogant prick, was his best friend. Stupid idiot had to go and run away. Luckily he turned back and helped Konoha in the battle. Sakura… his old crush, even if she never returned his feelings. The rest of Konoha Twelve had become like a family to him, always there if he needed it. Gai's Team, though eccentric mildly represented some of the members, they were still close and good friends. Kakashi… The man taught him how to climb a tree… yet he couldn't be happier to have the man looking out for him. The old man… Through his death, Naruto found strength. He found the will to push forward, no matter what happens because try as you might, nothing was ever certain.

His feet carried him forward subconsciously, letting Naruto zone out while he was absorbed in his thoughts.

 _ **"Naruto."**_ The deep archaic voice boomed in his head.

 _"What do you want Kyuubi?"_

 ** _"This place… I've been here before."_**

 _"Wait, what? Why didn't you say something earlier? I could have been going in the wrong direction this whole time."_

 _ **"In this place, there is no such thing a right or wrong. You can only keep drifting."** _ Naruto scratched his head. Drifting? What exactly did that mean? **_"It has been a long time since I've even seen this place, but I had to make sure before telling you. It is without a name, older than any living being knows. A pathway between worlds."_**

 _"Between worlds? You mean like… I'm not in the Elemental Nations right now?"_

 _ **"I'm afraid not. Many worlds are apart of a single existence, this existence. Imagine a ball, on the ground of Fire Country. Now picture a million more scattered around the entirety of the Elemental Nations. That is this existence. Each ball is a world, and the empty space is this place. If someone were to make there way here, they could eventually find the other worlds.** "_

The blonde was quite shocked. Since he was little, he always imagined that the Elemental Nations were gigantic. His perspective changed when he was told that his entire world was a mere blip in the larger picture. It was unfathomable.

 _ **"The only problem will be finding your way back. You can be spit out anywhere in this void. Even if you knew where to go, it could take years just to reach it."**_

Naruto stopped walking. _"So I'm never going home?"_

 _ **"There's a good chance you won't make it back. Your best bet would be to enter the first world you come across and hope it is the same one. You will be stuck there forever though, unless you somehow manage to find your way here again."**_

So that's it… His home was gone. The chances were one in millions, not great odds considering he only gets one chance and he knew nothing of the lottery he was forced to take part in.

Angry? Yeah. Sad? Yeah. Confused. Still very much confused.

 _"So how long will it take to get to the next world?"_

 _ **"It depends on where exactly you were spit out. Could be a day or two. It could take a year. The only way to know for sure is to find the next one."**_

He sighed. A year? He would need food, water, he still had training to do. Even if he managed to get food and water, he couldn't slack off on his training.

 _ **"Time is still here. You may feel like it passes like normal, but all of the worlds are completely frozen right now. If you manage to find the Elemental Nations, you'll appear the exact same time you disappeared."**_

 _"What about food and water?"_

 _ **"They are unnecessary here. The actual time that passes here is microscopic compared to that of a world. You will never grow hungry and you will never feel thirst.** "_

Well that was convenient. It beat dying in a few days though. He continued walking, hoping that he would soon see another world. The quiet was starting to bother him.

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Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang. All are definitely talented. Team RWBY was unofficially considered the best team of their year, barely passing their sister team, Team JNPR. They both accomplished much in their first year at Beacon, but they still were students. Students who had a lot to learn. That much was apparent when all four came back from their last class of the day, groaning and complaining.

"I think I pulled something in my brain." Yang cradled her head as she lie back in bed.

"It wasn't that bad Yang." Weiss tumbled into her bed as well. "Though today did seem exhausting."

"I think Professor Oobleck talked too long. It broke something." Yang complained.

"He isn't that bad, just… a little over excited." Ruby chuckled. The other three gave the girls a deadpan look. She smiled weakly back at them.

"I'm just glad that it's over." Blake muttered from her top bunk, nose buried in a book. "Until tomorrow." Three groans echoed out simultaneously.

"Can we do something fun this weekend?" The blonde sighed. "All we ever do is train and schoolwork."

"Speak for yourself." Yang glared at Weiss.

"Hey, I at least try to do most of it!" Ruby laughed at the two arguing. She definitely loved it at Beacon. Her friends, her team, even the professors. They made the place what it was and nothing could change that.

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A week? A month? Forever? Naruto honestly didn't know how much time had passed. Apparently he had no need for anything. That included sleep as he hadn't even begun to feel tired. He was, however, growing tired of the journey. The only reason he kept on pushing was for the old man's sake. He didn't want to disappoint him. Absently scuffing the ground with his foot, he trudged forward with a sigh.

 ** _"Naruto, do you feel that?"_**

 _"Feel what?"_

 ** _"Energy. Unlike any you can find in any given world. It makes up the doorway to each world. It is faint, but you must be close."_**

Finally, a destination. He began walking with a renewed vigor. Maybe he would get to see his friends soon.

 _ **"Remember what I said-"**_

 _"Yeah yeah, it might not be the Elemental Nations. Let me at least hope, okay?"_ Kyuubi grumbled, retreating further into his cell.

Okay, so what if it wasn't the Elemental Nations? Where would he end up? A world covered in water or maybe one with only animals? One with other ninja even?

 _ **"One that is nothing more than a desolate and barren wasteland. Nothing is certain yet, just focus on getting to the portal."** _ Naruto didn't like the sound of that. Nothing? Would he be able to survive something like that?

Regardless, he understood that he could pop out anywhere, maybe even into a lonely world. All he could do was prepare and hope for the best.

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He thought it would take longer to reach the portal, but here he was, staring at the swirling mass of black water. The black liquid from the ocean on one side of the road disobeyed physics, streaming upwards before falling back to its source, creating a thick curtain.

 _"So this is it?"_

 ** _"It is. All you need to do is step into the portal."_**

 _"Hope for Konoha-"_

 ** _"-Prepare for the worst."_ ** The two almost laughed at the way Kyuubi had finished Naruto's thought. The fox was quick to growl at the comparison.

 _"Well… Here goes nothing."_ Naruto took a step forward, falling into the portal. He disappeared, leaving the swirling black mass standing in the realms newfound emptiness.

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Their weekend did not go as expected, nothing close to the sort.

Professor Goodwitch had called them to her office before they could leave. They had an emergency mission to a small village near Beacon. A large Ursa had started attacking the town and they were required to leave immediately. When they arrived, no such beast existed. The villagers mistook a big bear for an Ursa and had them called in. Since the trip to the village took nearly a day, their weekend was shot. All for a bear…

"This is so dumb!" Yang cried out, kicking a rock along the path back to Beacon. "You'd think they could tell the difference between a bear and an Ursa. I wanted to go dancing!"

"Well of you would stop focusing on such trivial matters, you would realize that the bear did still attack the village. They were scared." Weiss scolded the blonde.

"Weiss is right Yang." Ruby interjected. "I'd rather be there when we aren't needed than not be there when we aren't."

Yang huffed but agreed. She would gladly save anyone that needed it, she wasn't heartless. Just for one weekend she was hoping for a nice break with the team. They didn't often get breaks from the huntress life. Maybe if they picked up the pace they could still have a few hours to do something together.

Yang was about to speak when she heard a snap. She looked at her teammates with worry. They had heard it too. Turning to face forest, they prepared themselves for a fight. The waiting was killing them as the noise grew louder.

"Let's just go and check it out." Yang spoke. "What if there are people out there." The others agreed with her reasoning and they slowly moved into the forest.

Along with the noise, they could now hear what sounded like a voice. Panic taking hold, they started running. If someone was in trouble they had to hurry. They sped through the trees, straining their ears for any changes in the voice or, what they hoped not to hear, the roar of a Grim.

"Dammit!" The male voice caught their attention. It didn't take long for them to reach the sight of the voice and they surprised by what they saw. Trees toppled, small craters in the ground, and an angry blonde standing in the middle of it all. A small, swirling blue ball formed in his hand. He grit his teeth and pulled his hand back.

"Rasengan!" He yelled, slamming the ball into a still standing tree. The ball drilled through the trunk, creating a large hole in its base. Hunched over and panting, he began forming another one when he noticed four people staring at him.

"Hello." Ruby, always the optimist, spoke up. "Are you okay?"

"No…" Naruto whispered. "Can you tell me where I am?" He raised his voice so they would hear him.

"About a day's journey from Beacon Academy." Yang explained. "We were on our way back when heard you out here. We thought you might have been in trouble."

Naruto hung his head. Definitely not the Elemental Nations. He had his suspicions when he came across that black beast with the white mask, but this just confirmed it. He knew quite a lot of places from his home, but Beacon Academy was never one of them.

"What country is this?" The girls gave him a confused look. He didn't even know what country he was in? He must be lost.

"Country? Do you mean Kingdom?" Naruto raised an eyebrow at Weiss. "We are in the kingdom of Vale." That cemented the fact. No such kingdom existed in the Elemental Nations.

He sighed in exasperation. "Would you be able to point me towards a place that needs work? I don't have any money." He didn't like asking for help, always pushing through any obstacles by himself. However, he was in an unknown world with no money, no place to sleep, and no way of knowing when or where his next meal would come from. The best he could do was hope these girls could give him good directions.

"What do you mean no money?" Ruby asked. "How did you end up out here?"

"My… village… it's hard to explain. I can't go back and I'm not familiar with anything outside of it." Best to keep his secret. They might attack him if they knew he was basically an alien.

"Well…" Yang thought aloud. "You could always come back to Beacon with us."

"What?" Weiss interjected. "He's not a student and non students aren't allowed on campus without the Headmaster's permission."

"Weiss he is lost." Blake finally spoke, holding off Weiss's denial of the boy accompanying them. "That's the least we could do. Professor Ozpin would be nice enough to at least point him in the right direction. He wouldn't kick him out without listening first."

"Plus Vale always has work available." Ruby cheered. "He could get a job there."

Naruto watched their interaction with some amusement. They seemed like a small family, but none of them even looked remotely alike to be related. Maybe a team? That would explain why they were out together with weapons. Speaking of, their weapons looked… weird.

The short girl had a… block of metal? How was someone her size even able to carry that? The white haired one had a thin sword. At least that could kill something, but it didn't look very sturdy. The quiet one had a blade that looked fairly sturdy and very sharp. So far she seemed the most equipped. Then the blonde one… Armguards? They didn't even cover much and they left her hands exposed. How would that help against anything? Also, what was with the skirts!? How could you fight in that? The girls he knew never wore stuff like that.

"Excuse me?" Weiss spoke loudly. Naruto raised his gaze and turned to stare at the girl. "Just what exactly were you looking at?"

"You're… weapons… I've never seen any like that. I'm sorry if I offended you." Dammit! He didn't want them to leave him here. He hoped that his apology would deter them from any kind of thoughts of that nature.

"You like weapons too!?" Ruby asked excitedly, cutting off Weiss's apology. "I love weapons! Seeing new ones is always cool, like meeting new people."

Naruto nodded. He could understand that. Seeing Zabuza's sword for the first time definitely made him excited at seeing something so cool. Though he was too busy trying not to die to really care all that much at the time.

"I would appreciate it if I could travel with you to Beacon." He bowed. Normally, respect wasn't something he showed that often. Everyone was a friend and he treated them like it. He really wanted to get it across that he was in need though. Without them, he could very well die in the forest before finding food or water.

The girls led him out of the forest, back to the road they were on before heading back to Beacon.

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"So… What's your name?" Ruby spoke up. Ten minutes of silence was uncomfortable, especially for the highly friendly girl. Naruto had taken to walk as far away from them as possible without seeming disrespectful. He wanted to avoid as many questions from them as possible since his part was rather… well they wouldn't understand about ninja.

"Naruto Uzumaki." Ruby raised an eyebrow at his name.

"That's… a different kind of name. It sounds cool though." Naruto stayed silent, earning a frown from Ruby. "I'm Ruby Rose."

"Yang Xiao Long." The blonde girl smiled brightly.

"Weiss Schnee." She spoke with an air of authority.

"Blake Belladonna." He could barely hear the last one. She seemed to not like talking. Ruby continued her questioning after Blake spoke.

"What kind of weapon do you have?" Naruto turned to look at the expectant girl. He flipped open a pouch on his waist and pulled out a kunai. "A knife?"

"It's called a kunai. It's used primarily for stabbing and cutting, though you are able to throw them if you need to." He pocketed the kunai. He wasn't going to tell them about his ninjutsu as he had yet to see anything that resembled that in this world. "I am also proficient at fighting in close combat without a weapon."

Ruby thought that was pretty cool. Fighting Grim with your bare hands? Awesome!

"What about that blue ball?" Weiss asked. "The one you made earlier."

Naruto looked at his hands before creating his signature move. The swirling mass blared to life, creating a small gust in the calm air.

"Rasengan. It's used for completely tearing an opponent's insides apart." Ruby looked a bit squeamish at the thought, but hey, people do things differently all over the world. Who was she to judge him for doing that.

"It must be easy to beat Grim with that." Yang smiled. She saw it's destructiveness in the forest, it definitely packed a punch.

"Grim?" The girls looked at his confused expression. He had never heard of Grim?

"You don't know what Grim are?" Ruby asked astonished. "The big black creatures that have no souls?"

"Oh those… yes it is effective against them." Naruto continued walking, hoping that their questioning was done. When he noticed they had stopped, he turned to look back at them. "Is something wrong?" His tone was genuine and curious.

"If you don't know what Grim are, how do you know it tears insides apart?" Weiss accused him, looking fairly angry.

Naruto froze, his eyes widening for a moment. Before he could say anything else, Yang stepped up.

"You use that on people?" Her voice clearly spoke anger, but it was held back. Weiss and Ruby looked sick, Blake narrowed her eyes.

"I…" Naruto started before sighing. "I'm sorry. I'll leave you be." He turned to head back into the forest. So much for making it to this Beacon place. They thought he was a murderer and definitely wouldn't trust him now. He never liked killing people, but sometimes it had to be done.

"Hold on!" He turned at Yang's voice. "You aren't going anywhere. We are definitely bringing you to Professor Ozpin now." He saw the four get into stances of sort. The block of metal on the short girls back transformed into a large scythe.

"Very well. Do you need to tie me up?" They looked confused at his rather quick surrender, but accepted it nonetheless.

"Blake, can you tie him up?" Blake nodded, procuring rope to tie his hands together with.

"Wait." Naruto raised his hand, slowly reaching for his pouch. The girls became guarded again, waiting for his move. He pulled out what appeared to be a roll of thread. "Don't waste your rope. This is steel wire, it will work more effectively."

What? Did he just give them a better way to secure his hands? Blake approached cautiously as Naruto held out the wire.

"Set it down." Naruto did, back up slowly from the spool. Blake grabbed it, examining the thread before nodding, confirming it was exactly what he told them it was. She pulled a length of it out, Naruto held his hands outward for her to tie.

"Behind your back. You can still fight with your hands in front of you." Naruto complied, turning around and putting his hands behind his back. After Blake swiftly tied him up, she grabbed his arm and dragged him out into the middle of the road.

"Let's go. We should try and hurry back now." Yang spoke, glaring at the tied blonde.

 _"So much for peaceful."_

 _ **"At least you are going to this Beacon place. Hopefully this Ozpin person is willing to excuse your past in exchange for something."**_

 _"If not? **"**_

 _ **"Well I suppose you'll die. At least I'll be free**_."

Naruto sighed as Kyuubi chuckled. He really wanted to go home.

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 _Coming Soon - Chapter 2: Beacon_

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	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I do not own RWBY.**

 **AN:** I can not express in words how much the support of the first chapter makes made me feel. Thank you all so much. Reviews will be answered at the top of the chapter. The first 4-5 chapters will be introductions for the most part, so very little actual relationship development and story progression until then. Remember to vote for the pairing you want. I'm gonna leave it here and let you all get into this one :)

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 **Reviews**

 _Bankai777 -_ Eventually, yes he will.

 _Lightning-187 -_ Thanks, I appreciate it :)

 _Neonlyphe -_ Maybe a bit of both? ;)

 _Dee -_ She is fifteen now, but I was basing the ages off of the beginning of RWBY since everyone in first year was fifteen and Ruby is two years younger. Maybe I got it wrong? Either way, thanks for letting me know :)

 _Liz780 -_ Pairing with one person is hard enough for me, three would be too much. Though I have to day, it sounds interesting.

 _MetalSharkey90 -_ I'm glad you like it so far. I tried to make it a but different, but I thought it might come across as a bit too off. Glad to see it paid off.

 _AtlasKP -_ Since this is my first RWBY fic, I really wasn't comfortable writing with a character that wasn't given a lot of... characterization? Maybe I'll do a short one about those two, or even full fledged story once I've gotten used to writing RWBY. Definitely an interesting pairing though.

 _outcastmike -_ Appreciate the vote, and I'm glad you like the story. :)

 _catze86 -_ He will become a student, but I can say he won't he for long.

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 **Chapter 2: Beacon**

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Angry could not even begin to express how Yang felt about the situation. The blonde that they found was a murderer? How the hell did someone actually even consider that!? She glared at the offending character for a moment before looking back at her team. Weiss and still looked sick, Ruby opting to stay as far away from him as possible. Not that she blamed her. Blake was the only one that seemed not completely angry with the situation.

Maybe it was because of Blake's history with the White Fang? Maybe she saw a bit of herself in the blonde, forced to do something they didn't really want to, something they knew was wrong? As far as she knew though, Blake hadn't committed murder.

Her gaze turned back to Naruto, trying to figure him out. He didn't even try to fight for an escape, he just gave up. He was definitely strong if the clearing he made was anything to go by. So why didn't he fight back? She bit her lip in thought. Was this his way of paying for what he did? Did he just lose the will to go on?

"If you wish to speed up your progress, I can move quickly with you." Naruto spoke, startling the girl out of her thoughts.

"What, and give you a chance to run away?" Weiss spat bitterly at him.

"I won't run. I could have tried back when you tied me up. It was just an offer."

"Thanks, but no thanks." Weiss turned her head away. Growing up like she did certainly gave her many looks at political corruption and the like, but to meet someone who would carry out the dirty work for those people was another. Blood stained his hands and she wasn't comfortable with that.

Ruby did her best to ignore Naruto, hoping that he would disappear. It wasn't like she had never seen death, or dealt with it, she killed Grim all of the time. However, these were people they were talking about now… People had lost their lives because of him. Possibly innocent ones. Mustering as much of her courage as she could, she decided to ask him something that had been a plague on her thoughts since they learned that information.

"Why?" Her voice came it weak and trembling, nothing like she planned. The others looked at her, confused by her question. "Why did you kill people?"

Naruto glanced over at her. She wasn't comfortable being around him, that much he could tell. Scared? Maybe, but it was more that she was weary of what he would try and do. Perhaps some vague answer would be best.

"I've done a lot of terrible things. Yes, I have killed people, but never innocent ones. They were all enemies, oppressing the weak, pushing them into slavery or worse. Others were hired killers, paid to kill anyone that popped onto their list. If you met one, you either killed or were killed. Some went even further, waging war for no reason other than power. When someone who has more power than you can imagine wants something done, the only way to stop them is through death."

He sighed, putting on a weak smile. "I can guarantee that I never took joy in what I did, but I did it to protect my village and my loved ones. If that's a crime then so be it, but I won't say I regret doing what I did."

Shocked would be the best way to describe how Ruby felt. Next would be pity. Forced into doing horrible things, even if they were for a noble cause, must have been tough.

"Don't listen to him Ruby, I'm sure he made it up to try and get you to feel sorry for him." Yang whispered.

"I assure you none of that was made up Miss Xiao Long, but I can't stop you from believing what you want to." He became silent once more, calmly walking along with the girls as Blake held his arm. Said girl, looked up into his face, noticing the sad smile that was etched into it. Maybe he really did have a past like hers, even if his sounded more bloody.

"You aren't lying?" Blake asked hesitantly. Naruto shook his head. She nodded in understanding.

"What was your village like?" He raised his head curiously at her. Why did she want to know?

"It depends on what time of my life you are speaking about." She didn't really know how to respond to something like that. Did the village change? Something happened that made it different perhaps?

"Something…" He caught her attention. "Something happened to you. Something bad." Her eyes widened as she turned away from his gaze.

"H-How…"

"I'm fairly good at reading people. Some people think it's a gift." He noticed her discomfort. "I'm not one to press if you don't want to talk. Besides, why would you listen to a prisoner being sent to death."

She turned back with a raised brow. "What makes you say that?"

"In my village, murder was not unusual because of our lifestyle, though it is not taken lightly here it seems. What did you think would happen to me once I reached Beacon." It wasn't his words that shocked her, but his smile. "I could do it again after all. One life doesn't outweigh dozens."

"Yet you seem… happy about that."

"I've lived long enough to see a lot of things. I have several friends, but I can see none of them anymore. There is nothing for me in this land. Perhaps my death can make up for some of the things I've done. Maybe I'll get to meet my parents finally." He began to trail off, forgetting that the four were now listening to him curiously. "I can see the old man, thank him for what he's done for me… I can see Neji again… Then again, maybe I won't be headed where they went." He fell silent.

The girls took that information at face value. They didn't want to feel sorry for him, they didn't want to. He could just be lying to try and get them to let him go. Only Blake seems genuinely curious and sad by his words.

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The stairs to Beacon were a pain, leaving the four girls huffing at the end of the journey. Naruto stood as calm as he was at the beginning of the walk. How he did that, they didn't know. All they knew was that they needed to get him to Ozpin.

"Professor Ozpin's office is at the top of Beacon Academy." Yang spoke. "That's where we are headed." Naruto nodded, letting them lead him through the campus.

To say they got stares and whispers would be putting it mildly. Students began to flood the corridors when word got around that Team RWBY was back, and with a prisoner by the looks of it. Naruto noticed the attention and kept his head down.

Words were thrown around that he had yet to hear. White Fang? Faunus? Whatever they were, they seemed to affect Blake. Her face contorted into something that was angry yet sad. Maybe that had to do with what happened in her past?

Soon they reached a set of metal sliding doors. After Weiss pushed a button near the doors, they slid open. Naruto stepped inside, looking around the box with interest.

"What is this?" He asked absently, not expecting an answer.

"You've never seen an elevator?" Weiss spoke incredulously.

Naruto chuckled. "I didn't have much back home." They stayed silent for the rest of the ride. When the doors opened again, they were staring onto a large room. The view from the windows covering half of the walls confirmed they were very high up, if not at the very top of the tower.

A man with silver hair was sitting behind a simple desk, talking with a taller blonde woman. They turned to look at the interruption.

"This meeting is private. You will need to wait to speak with the headmaster." The woman spoke, eyeing Naruto with suspicion.

"We're sorry Professor Goodwitch, but we needed to speak with Professor Ozpin's immediately." Weiss spoke up. "We found this man on our way back from our mission. After a few questions, we found out he…" Pausing, she took a breath before continuing. "... He killed people. We thought it best to bring him to you." Glynda's eyes flared at the offender. She looked ready to speak her mind when Ozpin interjected.

"Thank you Miss Schnee. Glynda, we will continue later. It seems something important came up." He looked at Naruto. "You may remove his bindings." Team RWBY looked at him like he was crazy.

"But Profes-"

"Now now." He held his hand up. "I'm sure I am more than capable of taking care of things if he does anything crazy."

They sighed in acceptance. Blake moved to untie the bonds, but Naruto moved his hands away. She looked up at him, confused.

"I'm fine with keeping them on." She gave him a weird look before nodding and moving back to the elevator with the rest if her team and Glynda. Ozpin would tell her what happened later if it was necessary. The elevator closed, sending the group to a different floor. Naruto looked up at Ozpin who just smiled in return.

"Please, have a seat." He motioned to the chair opposite of his desk. Naruto took it, not wanting to appear rude. "Are you sure you wouldn't like your bindings removed. They can't be comfortable."

Naruto nodded. "They are, but I am not looking to give anyone a reason to attack me."

"I assure you I won't attack you unless you act first." Naruto took a moment to think before snapping the steel wire. Ozpin raised an eyebrow.

"They weren't really holding you? Why allow yourself to be tied up then?"

"I didn't come here looking to fight. Breaking them in front of those four or running when they told me to go with them only would have forced their hand in attacking or reporting me. I'm sure having a known murderer on the loose would have many people out searching for me, actively or passively. This path was the one of least resistance and my best shot at not being declared a threat on sight." Ozpin nodded, understanding what the blonde was trying to convey.

"What is your name?"

"Naruto Uzumaki."

"May I ask where you are from?"

Naruto chuckled. "It depends. Do you believe in fairy tales?"

Ozpin's lips quirked at that. "I've been known to believe in such things from time to time."

"Will I be allowed to finish my story without being immediately arrested or executed?" Ozpin nodded, settling in for the tale. "I was born in village called Konoha…"

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It was nearly dark now, Ozpin having sat through the entire tale. To say he was intrigued would be putting it lightly. It wasn't everyday you met someone from another world. Ninja? Jutsu? Bijuu? Kage? It all seemed very farfetched, but the man had no reason not to believe him. At least not yet.

"I must say, that is definitely one of the more interesting tales I've heard in my time."

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Looking back, it seems pretty ridiculous some of the things I've gone through and done."

"A few questions come to mind though. May I ask?"

"Of course."

"This Madara person… you say he has the ability to move himself into a separate dimension before reappearing. Do you believe he could use that to come to Remnant?"

Naruto shook his head. "From what I know of the Sharingan, it only has the ability to put him inside of a small pocket dimension specific to the user. Even if he could reach the Void, let alone Remnant, he would have almost zero chance of reaching this place unless he ended up exactly where I was spit out at."

Ozpin nodded. The last thing he wanted was a man like that in their world. "That's good. If possible, could you show me some techniques from your world? I am interested in seeing them compared to what we have here."

"Yes, though some are highly destructive so I will only use them if you specifically ask."

"Very well. This Kyuubi you have inside of you, I believe you said he was considered a demon and the strongest one at that."

The blonde sighed. "You have no worries about him breaking free. We have an agreement to work together. Honestly we are more friends than partners at this point." He heard Kyuubi snort in the back of his mind. Mentally he rolled his eyes at the fox.

"That is good. I just had to be sure."

Naruto smiled. "I understand. You have students and people to protect." Ozpin nodded in appreciation for the understanding.

"Your childhood…" Naruto stopped smiling at the mention of it. "... I would hate to bring up old memories, especially painful ones. You seemed to have dealt with them fairly well at this point. If I didn't know of it, I would have never guessed that had happened. I just wanted you to know that I will always be here for anyone that needs me. You need only ask and I will listen."

Naruto bowed his head in appreciation. "Thank you sir."

"That brings me to my last question." He folded his hands together. "If I asked you to, would you be willing to join Beacon academy?"

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. He was expecting jail time, possibly execution for his past. Instead he got an offer to join the academy.

"Sir, with all due respect, are you sure you want someone like me at this school? I am sure the four girls have already told most of the school about my activities before coming here and I don't think that the students or the teachers would like having me around."

Ozpin chuckled. "I don't judge people by what they have done, but what they prove to be. To me, you are a kid who grew up too quickly, forced to fight for freedom and your home's continued existence. If anyone could condemn that, I doubt you would want to be around that sort."

Naruto thought for a moment. Would it be so bad to try and start a life here? Wasn't that what he was planning on doing anyways? He chuckled silently to himself. Going from one step away from village leader to first year academy student. The world really didn't want him becoming Hokage did it?

"I… accept. On the condition that I am not paired up with anyone. As I understand it, from what you have told me, everyone works in teams here. I'm not ready for that sort of thing, at least not until people warm up to me, if they ever do."

"I see no reason why we can't bend the rules a bit for your special circumstance. When you find yourself ready for a team, I'll assign you to an existing group unless a slot opens up."

"Thank you." Naruto bowed his head.

Ozpin nodded, staring out the window. "It is getting late. I can pay for you to stay in a hotel in Vale."

"No need. I am more than capable of finding a place to sleep."

He raised an eyebrow but accepted the answer. "Very well. I want you to meet Glynda in front of the academy tomorrow around six. She will show you around the school, and where all of the classrooms are."

Naruto nodded and stood. He walked back to the elevator, standing still for a moment. He turned to look at Ozpin, slightly embarrassed. "Uh, how do these work?"

The silver haired man chuckled, looking at the blonde man's plight. The terror of the elevator begins.

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Naruto found himself awake an hour before he had to meet with Glynda. It wasn't that he wasn't tired, but he felt something else. Terror? Excitement? Sadness? Happiness? Basically everything. He was being given a fresh start, a clean skate to work with. If he messed this up it would be no different here than when he was young in Konoha. That was definitely something he didn't want.

Staring up at the duky blue sky, still awakening from its own nap, from the fountain bench he slept on, he couldn't help but notice it appeared like it did back home. He could almost feel himself laying on a bench in Konoha's park, relaxing the day away after the war was over. Kids played happily in the jungle gyms, laughing wildly with their friends. Parents watched, smiling at their young ones having such fun. Couples walking down the street, hand in hand as they grew closer and closer.

His smile slowly left his face. But it wasn't Konoha. Nothing ever would be. Sighing, he sat up, turning his gaze upon the school. Only fifty nine more minutes until Glynda arrived.

In surprise turn of events, he only had to wait a few more minutes before the woman showed up. She looked around for a moment before her eyes landed on him. Narrowing them, she approached swiftly.

"I see you are at least punctual. I was half expecting to have to track you down when six came."

Naruto shook his head. "You could have arrived here at one and you still would have found me. I slept here." He patted the bench to make his point.

"You did not rent a hotel room?"

"I have no money. Ozpin offered to pay for it, but I refused. Besides I've slept on worse than stone." He folded his hands together. "Do you want to start now, or would you rather wait. As you said, you weren't expecting me this early." Glynda gave him a weird look. He couldn't place it. Was it… Distrust?

"No we should start now. I'll be able to get more work done in my office than out here." He nodded, standing up and waited for her to lead him away. They began walking towards the main entrance of the school before Glynda spike again.

"I do not know why Ozpin is trusting you, especially if what Team RWBY said was true, but the man is a person I trust, so I will accept his decision until you prove otherwise."

Naruto nodded weakly. "All I ask is a chance to prove myself. I can't really go anywhere except up from here though, can I?"

Glynda eyed him wearily before turning back to face the buildings entrance.

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"This is the room where you will be practicing combat training. I teach this class." Naruto nodded. It was a lot to take in, but he was sure he would manage. A few students had begun to populate the halls at this point, the tour had taken we'll over an hour. He was beginning to get looks again.

"That's the entirety of your tour. I'll trust that you can remember the rooms. Keep in mind, breakfast is at eight, lunch at noon, and always be on time for class. New student tardiness may be accepted by a few of the staff, but I won't."

The blonde man nodded. "Um… Professor?" He didn't want to call her Glynda since she was technically his teacher now.

"Yes, what is it?" she tapped her scroll impatiently

"Back home, I was never considered a good academic student. I thought I'd warn you beforehand. Anything practical is fine, but when it comes to history and theories I've never been able to focus properly. How many of these classes are practical?"

She sighed. "Technically only mine is, but all of them have some parts that allow you to participate in demonstrations or tests that count as such. Most of the will be by the book assignments and essays though."

Naruto hung his head. "I thought so. Thank you anyways Professor." He turned to head towards the cafeteria. Getting something to eat sounded good about now.

Glynda watched his back as he retreated. He didn't seem like a cold blooded person, in fact he acted like the exact opposite. He let her speak without interrupting, only asking questions that were actually pertinent to the subject. He even offered to delay the tour in case she wasn't ready that morning. That may have earned him a few points in her book, but he still had a long way to go.

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 _Coming Soon - Chapter 3: First Day_

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	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I do not own Ruby**

 **AN:** I love you guys. You're really showing this story a lot of love. I won't waste you're time here, so go ahead and read on.

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 **Reviews**

Too many reviews to answer each one individually. I didn't expect this at all. You guys are awesome! I'll just answer the questions that come with them since many have similar questions. First, thanks to everyone who did review, you guys are the MVP's of FFN.

 _Naruto and his personality -_ I understand he seems to be very off from what he normal would be, but I did say he would be OOC. Regardless of that, I want to say that he is acting this way because he does not want to become a fugitive in this new world. Better to comply for now unless he would rather spend the rest of his life running.

 _Naruto being captured -_ Basically the same reason as above. He wants to show them he wasn't really looking for a fight and, even with his past in mind, he wouldn't attack the four when they were just doing what they trained to do.

 _Team RWBY and JNPR and Ozpin -_ For now, they are the only ones that know about Naruto's past, excluding Goodwitch and Ozpin. Yes Ozpin will speak to them about it and it will be soon.

Naruto chose to trust Ozpin, hoping he would see that he isn't there to do anything bad. It was simple case of bad luck and Ozpin understood that. He may seem a bit too trusting, but what would Ozpin have thought if he kept all of that a secret and barely revealed anything. He hasn't spoken about every single thing he has dine, nor has he been incredibly detailed about it, but Ozpin has a vague idea. Ie. Wave Country. Naruto went there, fought two powerful ninja, they both died, and he used Kyuubi's power unintentionally. He doesn't know about his training methods, his relationships with his team and fellow ninjas, or the fact that he almost witnessed his first death at that bridge. I hope that clears that up a bit.

 _Pairing -_ Naruto x Whoever seems to be in a fair number of reviews. One even started rooting for Blake after last chapter XD. The poll will determine the pair, if there even is one, and it will be Naruto x that person. No harem as one person had concerns about. Regardless of pairing, Blake will still be closer to Naruto than the others when both of their past's are revealed to each other.

 _Beta Reader -_ If anyone would like to Beta this story, please PM me. As one review said, it would help me out a lot and get a new outlook into the story I'm hoping to create.

 _Riya Uchiha -_ Just had to mention you by name because I loved your review. I appreciate the criticism.

As for the killing, yes killing seems to be a normal thing in Remnant, and people die all the time in different circumstances. I see it as they found out he killed people and immediately assumed it wasn't because that's how he was raised, hence why Blake didn't seem as angry, if at all, compared to the others. Weiss does want the White Fang to die, but I really doubt she would be comfortable with seeing anyone be killed in from of her, even if they deserved it. Knowing that Naruto has spilled blood makes her feel sick, regardless of the fact that she does think some people deserve it.

Glynda, I will concede, does seem a bit strange after re reading the section a few times. When I wrote it, I believe I was going for she was shocked at the revelation. Having no context and being told Naruto was a killer would make anyone at least a little weary. I probably went a bit to far with her reaction though. If I ever go back and edit some parts, I'll change that to more curiosity than anger. That should fit better.

The whole giving up thing was touched on above, but I'll say it again. Naruto doesn't want any enemies. He wants to live peacefully here. If you met someone, found out they had killed someone, and then they tried to run, what would you do? Wither call the police or, if you were brave or stupid enough, try to restrain them. That's what Team RWBY did. Naruto went along with it since he wanted the least amount of trouble as possible for himself. He never planned on letting himself get killed, it was more an extreme thought than anything, but I didn't portray that very well. He wanted at least a chance to have a normal life, rather than being on the run from day one.

Having Naruto enter Beacon is pretty standard as far as crossovers go, but he won't be spending as much time there as you think he might. Yes he will be apart of Beacon, but I think that he will still not be 'apart' of Beacon if that makes any sense.

Really I appreciated the review and it made me look back over a few mistakes I have made. I hope you continue reading and enjoy the story.

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 **Chapter 3: First Day**

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Breakfast was a different ordeal. When Naruto entered the giant cafeteria, he quickly moved to a corner of the room, observing how people went about their day for a few minutes. Mentally taking notes, he watched as a few people sat with a larger group, getting some hellos from them. Groups of friends. He sighed. Of course he wasn't going to fit in.

He made his way to where there was a line, standing at the back for a short amount of time. It didn't take long for his turn to come and he just grabbed a few fruits before making his way to an empty area. While walking, it seemed as though he was garnering attention. Did Team RWBY say something to the rest of them?

He pushed the thought out of his mind as he sat down, absently eating. He tried to focus on what his classes would consists of. Aura Studies? What exactly was that? Aura? He had never heard of such a thing and he was sure he didn't have one. Grim Studies was something a bit easier. That's what those large black things were that attacked him before the girls found him. They didn't seem all that strong, but he knew he was also considered immensely powerful by his world's standards. They most likely had a different version of overly powerful.

He heard a small yelp from behind him. Turning to see what happened, his eyes bled red when he saw a few guys laughing at a girl who was clearly in pain. One of them was tugging on what looked to be a pair of bunny ears attached to her head. She must have been one of those Faunus that Ozpin talked about.

Almost regretting what he was about to do, he stood up and marched towards the group. The cafeteria quieted, holding their breath as the strange newcomer approached the five people.

"Look at that, what a freak!" Cardin laughed. "I bet she even likes it when I pull on them." He gave a sharp tug, eliciting a cry of pain from the girl.

"Please… stop." Tears streamed down her face, she tried pulling away from his grip. Suddenly a hand latched onto Cardin's wrist. He looked up at the blonde that stopped him.

"Excuse me? What do you think you're doing?"

"I'd like to ask the same thing." Naruto grit his teeth. He couldn't stand people like this. They bullied her for something she was born with, something she had no control over… It was just like he was when younger.

"She's a freak. Look at her! We need to teach them a lesson abo-" a sharp crack was heard as Naruto clamped harder down on his wrist. Cardin let go of the girl's ear, pulling his hand back.

"What the hell man!"

"I suggest you move along…" He let his eyes turn red with Kyuubi's help. "... unless you want to meet a real animal." Cardin and his team, tripped as they scurried backwards to run from the man. Naruto sighed as his eyes shifted back to blue. He looked down at the girl who was trembling and staring up at him.

"I don't think they will bother you again. If they do, let me know." He turned back around, heading to his table. He felt the eyes of many on his back as he did. Honestly, he could care less if they thought of him as a brute for doing what he did to that guy. No one, not a single person had the right to judge someone else for anything out of their control.

After sitting down, he looked back to his fruit, suddenly not feeling hungry anymore. He pushed it to the side and rested his head on the table. Today wasn't going great, and he hadn't even gone to his first class yet.

He heard a clatter next to him and looked up, surprised to see the same girl with bunny ears sitting next to him. She looked down, almost ashamed, before speaking.

"Would… would you mind if I sat with you?"

Naruto shook his head. "You're free to do whatever you want to." He watched as she began to take hesitant bites of her food. "Where is your team? Shouldn't they be with you?" She dropped her fork, letting it clatter against her tray before picking it up quickly.

"They sit… somewhere else." Naruto turned to look around, meeting many eyes, but none worth stopping at. When he saw three people approaching, he figured they must have been her teammates.

The girl with the sunglasses called out to them. "Velv-" She paused when she heard a growl. One that came from Naruto.

"If you were really her teammates, you would have at least tried to do something. Obviously you don't care about her wellbeing. Now leave before I do to you what I did to that boy." His eyes turned red again. The three stopped, looking at each other hesitantly before turning away. He noticed that their heads seemed to hang in shame. Good, they deserved that.

"You didn't have to do that." The girl spoke up.

"Yes I did. If they are your teammates, then they should act like it." Naruto let his eyes flicker back as he turned to the girl. "I'm not trying to stop them from talking with you, I just wanted to let them know that kind of behavior is something I won't tolerate."

She nodded. He was the new person everyone was talking about. Apparently he came in with Team RWBY as a prisoner, but Ozpin must have let him join the academy, otherwise he wouldn't be here right now.

"Thank you…" She whispered.

"Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki."

"I'm Velvet Scarlatina." Naruto smiled at her.

"It's nice to meet you Miss Scarlatina." She was surprised by the way he addressed her, but she didn't say anything about it.

"Can…" She looked up at him. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You may."

"Are you a Faunus?" He gave her a quizzical look before she motioned to her own cheeks.

"Oh, my whisker marks. No I am not, that was just a side effect from my birth. Where I come from, there are no Faunus, just humans." She nodded, accepting the answer. "May I ask you something?" Velvet nodded. "What's it like having those ears?" She flattened them instinctively, sliding a bit further away from Naruto.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. it's just like I said, I grew up where there were no Faunus. Honestly, I think having those would be a great advantage. You can probably hear really well right?"

She nodded hesitantly. Naruto looked around, seeing that not a lot of attention was on them. He leaned in and whispered.

"Want to see something cool?" She tilted her head curiously, but nodded anyways. What would be the harm. Naruto placed his hands together in a seal and focused. A small puff of smoke later, Velvet widened her eyes at him. He had a pair of bunny ears on top of his head.

"So how do I look?"

"How did you do that?"

"A trick I know. It's just an illusion, but in a situation like this it can be quite fun." His new ears twitched. Velvet covered up her mouth as she giggled at the sight. "Yeah, I didn't think bunny would work for me either." He made the seal again. This time, he had a fox tail sprouting from his backside.

"That's so cool." Velvet said, reaching out to touch the tail. For an illusion, it felt fairly real. She combed her hand through the fur a few times before smiling up at Naruto. "Thanks Naruto."

"Hmmm?" He was busy trying to think of another animal when she talked to him.

"Thanks for cheering me up. I needed that."

"Well that's what I do." He smiled. "Remember, if anyone starts picking on you because of your ears, let me know. I'll turn into a cat and beat them up, just enough to damage their pride and dignity." She chuckled at that.

"I'd pay to see that." Naruto grinned. He already liked this girl. Sure she was a bit shy and scared when he first saw her, but fifteen minutes after talking with her, she opened up a bit and started to smile. A good friend if nothing else.

"I'll let you know if I plan on doing it so you can get a front row seat." Velvet smiled and nodded, returning to her food with more enjoyment. Naruto was content to wait until she finished before he heard a yell from across the room.

"YOU!"

Naruto turned around to see an angry Yang stomping towards him. Behind her was a angry looking Weiss and a scared Ruby, Blake silently hiding in the pages of her book. Yang glared daggers at the man. How did he get here? Did Ozpin let him go?

As she approached, she noticed his expression become more guarded. When she was ten feet away, he growled at her, making her stop in her tracks.

"What do you need?" Unfortunately for him, they didn't see his small heroic act. They still only saw him as a heartless killer. Maybe they even thought Velvet was his next victim.

"Maybe start with why you are here?"

"Ozpin saw fit to make me a student here. I only agreed because he believed in what I told him. If he hadn't, I would either be on the run or dead. You can trust in his opinion like Professor Goodwitch did, or you can continue to act the way you are. I couldn't care less either way."

He turned around to face Velvet, completely ignoring the four behind him. Yang gawked at him, not believing he had just told her off. She narrowed her eyes.

"Fine, but come sparring time, I'm going to smash your ass into the ground." She stomped off, Weiss and Ruby following immediately. Blake stood for a second longer, staring at the smiling Velvet. What was that she felt… jealousy? She turned to follow her friends to their table. It couldn't be jealousy… could it?

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"The nerve of him!" Yang slammed her tray of food into the table, making Jaune jump out of seat. Nora's orange juice got knocked over, making the girl tear up. Ren, of course, did his best to comfort her. Pyrrha gave the girl a strange look.

"What's wrong Yang?" Pyrrha asked. She was obviously upset, but at what? They had just arrived after the big scene only sitting down a moment ago.

"Asshole over there." She jammed a finger in the direction of Velvet's table. Pyrrha gazed over to find a blonde sitting and chatting with the girl, surprisingly enough to see a smile on her face.

"Velvet has found a friend it seems. I'm happy for her." Pyrrha smiled.

"That friend of hers is the asshole." Frowning, she turned back to look at the two.

"He does not seem like a dislikable person."

"That was the guy we brought in with us yesterday as a prisoner. You know, the one that's a murderer." Weiss spoke up. This got everyone's attention.

"What?" Team JNPR inquired simultaneously.

"Yeah. He said Ozpin made him a student. Apparently Ozpin trusts him." Weiss crossed her arms. "I can't say I exactly agree with that."

Ren looked over at the blonde man in question before turning back to his meal. "If Ozpin trusts him, that's good enough for me." Nora nodded along with Ren. Ozpin wouldn't just let a dangerous person walk around the school.

"How can you believe that?" Yang asked. "He killed people. People! He should be thrown in prison."

"I agree with Ren." Yang turned to stare at Blake incredulously. "If Ozpin trusts him, we should at least give him a chance. If he turns out to be bad, then we can all agree he made a bad decision." She flipped a page of her book.

"I think Blake's right." Ruby muttered. "Professor Ozpin always told us that what happened in the past is history, what matters is what we choose to do heading into the future. Besides, he came willingly when you told him to Yang. He even said he knew he could be executed."

Yang's jaw fell open at her little sister. "You too?"

"I… I don't like what he's done, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't at least give him a chance. Everyone deserves a chance to make up for something terrible they did."

Yang threw her hands in the air in anger. "I don't understand how you can't see it. He's probably here to kill students. Watch, in sparring today he'll do something dangerous. He will hurt someone bad I guarantee it." She turned to her meal, ignoring the rest of the conversation.

"I don't know." Jaune spoke. "I think he should be given a chance. I'm all for letting someone prove they are more than what they first appear to be. I wasn't a good fighter until after I joined Beacon and got help from all you."

"Exactly." Blake agreed. "I'm not saying we should forget what he has done, but we shouldn't judge him based on just one aspect of his past." She peered over her book at the pair. Velvet was laughing at something Naruto must have said. A pang ran through her chest. She frowned at the feeling. What was it?

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Naruto was never happier to go train in his life. The day had been a terrible excursion of note taking and homework assignments. Not only that, but he had to catch up so his work was doubled. Training in the last class would get his mind off of those for at least a little while.

He entered the classroom, finding a seat in the back away from the others. He didn't see Velvet in the class so he had no one to sit by. The room slowly filled as the students came trickling in, eyeing him curiously as they did. Some seemed excited by the fact they had a new student to fight against. New abilities and tactics to test their skills against. Others didn't care one way or another. When the last of the students sat down, Glynda cleared her throat.

"As you all have seen, we have a new student in class. I hope you all have given him a good welcome to Beacon." She looked up at the boy sitting alone. Apparently they haven't. "Let's begin. Today is our weekly reprise from set fights. I'll call a name randomly and you may choose your opponent. First is Yang Xiao-"

"Naruto!" She yelled stomping down the room to the small battle ground. Glynda looked surprised for a moment, but soon realized what that was. Anger. The boy must have done something to make her mad.

The other students got anxious as Naruto slowly walked down the stairs to the fighting area.

Yang growled at his pace. "Hurry your ass up." Naruto stopped and cocked his head before disappearing in a swirl of leaves. He appeared across from Yang in the ring.

"Is that better Miss Xiao Long?" The students not fighting whispered excitedly. What was that move he just did? Did he teleport? Was that his semblance?

"Please activate your scrolls to show your aura meters." Yang did immediately, her aura flashing to life on the screen behind Glynda. "Naruto I said activate your scroll."

"I don't have one." He said. "Ozpin hasn't given me mine yet."

"Very well. I'll trust you can gauge your aura well enough to know when you are no longer able to fight." He still didn't know what that word aura meant, but he nodded anyways. Yang took up a fighting stance as Naruto stood with his arms crossed.

"You may begin." Before Glynda even finished, Yang ran head first at Naruto, cocking her arm back to let loose a punch. Before she made contact, Naruto ducked slightly, pushing her arm up and he grabbed the clothing around her stomach. He lifted her overhead, tossing her behind himself. She hit the ground with a smack before jumping back to her feet and attacking once more.

"Did you see that?" Ruby gasped. "He dodged Yang and countered like it was nothing." The members of Team RWBY and JNPR watched in shock as Naruto merely played with the girl.

"Stop dodging dammit!" She pulled her hand back before firing several shots from her gauntlets. Naruto merely ducked and weaved, evading all of them. Yang growled in annoyance. "Do something else!"

He raised an eyebrow. He didn't want to attack, he was trying to prove a point. Even given the opportunity he would assault her if he could help it, she was comrade. Though it was technically sparring, he only saw this as a way to possibly injure her, and that was not going to get her to stop hating him.

He calmly reached for his pouch, drawing one of his kunai, holding it in a reverse grip. Some students leaned forward in anticipation. His weapon was a knife? Yang held up her gauntlets ready to attack. Only she couldn't.

Naruto had disappeared from her sights. He wasn't in the ring anymore. She looked around, wondering where he went when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Whipping around, she saw Naruto with a kunai in her face.

"First death." He spoke, disappearing again. She felt a tap on her lower back.

"Second death." She turned angrily to find him already gone. She moved back against a wall of the arena, keeping every place he could attack her from in view. That's when she felt a sharp metal point being pressed underneath her chin.

"Third death." She glance down to see him crouching in front of her. He removed the kunai, placing it back in his pouch. "You leave many openings for quicker targets and your attacks aren't as localized as they could be, but you have much potential." He turned to Glynda. "Is the match over?"

She shook her head. "Not until the five minutes are up or one of your aura's goes into the red. He nodded.

"Sorry." He grabbed her shirt lifting her off of the ground and slamming her down into it. Students and Glynda alike watched in shock and fear as Yang's aura lowered from near full to almost gone with that hit.

"Winner, Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto picked Yang up off of the floor, wrapping an arm around her waist and throwing one over his shoulder.

"Does she need to visit the infirmary?"

"No, she still has aura left. Take her to her seat." He nodded walking back up the steps to where she was sitting. He received many looks, some scared, some filled with admiration. Ignoring them, he placed Yang in the arms of Ruby, who moved her back towards her seat. The girl was still rattled from the blow, unsure of what had exactly happened.

"I hope she recovers soon." He moved back to his seat as Glynda called out the next person.

Ruby looked at the blonde with a little respect. Though he did beat her sister, badly she might add, he never once did anything that could be considered overly threatening. Yes he could have killed her three times as he stated, but he never did. It would have been easy for him to do that and try and run, but instead he pointed out her flaws and even apologized before he hurt her. She was right about giving him a second chance.

Blake sat watching the next fight, but her eyes kept flickering to the blonde. What was it that made her act like this?

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Yang was back in decent condition by the time class was over. When Glynda dismissed them, she immediately made a beeline for Naruto who was walking out of the doors. She followed him, wondering where he was headed when he stopped at the fountain outside of the school's entrance. Deciding to stay back for a moment and watch him, she hid behind a pillar. He seemed… tired? He was hunched over his head hanging lowly. She was about to approach when he sat up straight and pulled out what looked like papers from one of his pouches. He then started writing, or what she assumed was writing.

After a few minutes with no change, she decided to talk to him. Before she could speak though, he interrupted her.

"I was wondering when you were going to come out from behind the pillar." He didn't look up as he spoke, continuing his writing.

"What the hell was that back there?" She asked. "In the classroom when we fought."

"You'll have to be more specific. I don't know which part of the fight you are referring to."

She growled. "The whole damn thing."

"I didn't want to hit you." She blinked in surprise. "You obviously don't like me and I don't hold it against you. I figured that when you asked to fight me, you were trying to prove a point about me being a heartless monster or something." Yang looked embarrassed at that fact. "So I tried to not fight you. When you asked me to do something else I showed you your weak points. Everyone has them, and you can't fully get rid of them, but you can always try to make them smaller or fewer. The last hit was because I wanted to end the match. I had no intention of doing that from the beginning, and since you seem to be a prideful person, I didn't want to just dodge you the rest of the match. Being outclassed would hurt less than never being able to hit someone that didn't even try and fight you."

Yang stared at him as he continued writing. He was… being nice? "I didn't ask for you to go easy on me."

"I know you didn't, but hurting you excessively would have been stupid. It may have shown some of my talent, but it could have also made people scared.

Yang opened her mouth to speak, but Naruto continued before she could. "I'm out of my comfort zone, I've never been in a place like this before, and I have no one here to rely on if I need it. I just tried to show you I wasn't as bad as you first thought, but that didn't work apparently. I'd appreciate it if I could get back to my work now."

When he finished, only the scratching if his pen could be heard. Yang shuffled awkwardly as what he said flowed through her.

"Why are you out here?" That was really the only thing she was comfortable with asking right now.

"It's quiet. I like the view." He looked out at the setting sun. "It kind of reminds me of home."

Yang looked down at the blonde as he smiled softly. He turned back to work soon after, scribbling away. She looked back at Beacon before turning to him.

"You could always come back to Team RWBY's dorm." Naruto paused for a moment before continuing writing.

"I don't think that would be appropriate. I am a man, and there are four ladies that live there."

"Not for that you idiot." Her face tinted at his reasoning. "To do your work. It can't be comfortable sitting out here."

"Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass. You might want to get back though, it looks like it's going to storm tonight." She looked out at the horizen, spotting a few dark grey clouds.

"Fine."

"Good." He made a shooing motion with his free hand. "Now go." Yang glared at him for a moment before it faded. She turned around and walked back to her dorm. It was his choice after all.

She hated to admit it, but maybe she was wrong… Maybe he wasn't as bad as she first thought he was.

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 _Coming Soon: Chapter 4: Mission_

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	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I do not own RWBY**

 **AN:** _ **I planned for the poll to only last 3 chapters, but after seeing the almost tie coming into closing time, I decided to postpone it just a bit to get a slightly more clear winner. One day after this chapter is posted I'll be closing the poll. If you haven't voted in the poll and wish to, please do so now. Every vote will count.**_

I don't think it was ever stated what missions are ranked, but missions will be ranked the same as Naruto ones for simplicity's sake. This is just based on difficulty, not that only those of the actual level will be able to do those missions. This is also only how it works in Beacon. Other schools could have different ways of ranking missions or have different ranks.

D is for first years.

C is for second years.

B is for third years.

A is for fourth years.

S is for graduates or experienced hunters that are capable of such a challenge such as Qrow. Rare mission rank.

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 **Reviews**

 _Killing -_ Experienced Hunters aren't as adverse to the idea. I made a mistake with Glynda early on, but Ozpin had no negative reaction to it. Most of the older characters won't really be affected by the news. Yes war was a thing the Remnant has experienced, but how long before the start of the story was the last one? It wasn't like they just came out of war, they've had "peace" for a long time now.

 _Puns -_ I'm sorry for the lack of puns to the disappointed reviewer XD I'll do my best to get Yang and my own worked on I'm the coming chapters :D

 _Pairing -_ I appreciate any reviews, flame, criticism, or even just a good job. If you are just voting for your pairing through reviews though, it won't count in the poll. Please vote in the poll as it will end tomorrow afternoon.

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 **Chapter 4: Mission**

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Naruto was envious of the teams. Able to stay in a place with a roof. The storm turned out to be nothing more than a decent rain, but it still was annoying. He packed up his things before heading back inside the school, on route to Ozpin's office. The man would either give him a dorm room or give him a mission to make money.

"Damn weather." Only one rainy day and he was already cursing the sky.

" _ **You must have grown weak. You used to be able to sleep through snowstorms as long as my chakra kept you relatively warm, now a little water angers you? You're worse than when Matatabi was young."**_

" _Can it Kyuubi, I know that. It's just annoying is all."_

" _ **Fine fine, be like that."**_ He disappeared from Naruto's thoughts, letting him finish walking to the elevator. The doors slid shut behind him as he rode the metal cage to the top floor.

He stepped out into the headmaster's office, glad he was actually here. The blonde figured he might have been gone at such a late hour.

"Ah, Naruto. What can I do for you?" The man nodded in greeting as he continued sorting papers.

"Give me a dorm room." Ozpin looked up from his work.

"A dorm room? Well I'm afraid those are reserved for teams only."

"Then give me a mission that pays well so I can rent a place."

The man shook his head. "Students are not allowed outside of the school grounds except for missions and during breaks and vacations."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the man. "So I am to sleep outside for the rest of the foreseeable future?"

"Perhaps." Naruto grit his teeth. "Why don't you take a mission since you are so eager and we can talk when we come back. After that you can show me those skills I have been wanting to see." The blonde reluctantly nodded. It wasn't like he had anything else to go off of, and at least a mission would give him a good excuse for getting wet.

"Excellent. I have an D rank that will fit you nicely." He handed over a small silver object. "That's your scroll, I meant to give it to Glynda this morning to give to you, but I must have forgotten. Your mission will appear on there. Complete the task and earn the reward, fairly similar to his your missions work I believe."

Naruto nodded. "Yes. Thank you, I'll be heading out now." He turned swiftly, leaving the office. Ozpin watched as he disappeared, smiling to himself.

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Naruto rushed off to the front of the school, ready to leave. He pulled out the scroll and opened it. It was definitely different than anything he had ever seen in Konoha.

"Hello!" The scroll talked, making Naruto stumble, almost falling over in surprise. "This scroll has never been activated. Would you like to activate it now?"

"Yes?" Naruto wasn't sure if speaking to it would work, but he needed to get it working so he could do this mission.

"Thank you, your scroll will activate momentarily." He waited a few minutes before he heard a bell. "Please enter your personal information below so you can be identified."

He looked down at the small page of requirements. Name, birthdate, blood type. It seemed like normal stuff.

He poked the name slot and a jumble of letters appeared on screen. He hesitantly pushed one and saw that it appeared in the bar next to where his name should go.

A few minutes, and grueling backspaces, later, he managed to complete what was needed. He clicked the confirm button only to be brought to another page. Naruto hung his head. He really didn't know if he could do another one.

"Please activate your aura and place both hands on the scroll. It will take a few moments to gauge your aura level." He raised an eyebrow. There was that word again. He should have asked Ozpin while he was in his office, but it was kind of late now. He placed his hands on the side of the scroll and waited.

"Please activate your aura and place both hands-" Naruto groaned.

"I don't know what aura is!" He yelled at the scroll. The voice suddenly cut off.

"Aura is the physical representation of one's soul. It is used to heal minor wounds and protect the body during combat. All living things have aura." Naruto cocked his head. It sounded similar to chakra. Could he use his chakra?

"Please activate your-" he channeled chakra to his hands as he gripped the scroll tightly. The voice stopped. A few seconds later it resumed with its cheery tone.

"Your aura level had been gauged. Thank you for activating this scroll. Would you like a tutorial on how to use a scroll?"

"Yes." The stupid thing began rambling, bringing up several screens and highlighting the parts it was mentioning. Naruto thought his killing days were over, but the scroll voice had certainly made him rethink that option.

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After an hour long session spent growling and yelling at his scroll, the voice finally quit talking. He sighed in relief. Now he just had to find his mission… somewhere.

His eyes scanned the screen until they found the school's symbol. He pressed on it, hoping to find what he wanted there. If it was about the school it should at least be close.

A mission board appeared in front of his face and he smiled. This was definitely the right path.

It took a bit, but he finally found his assigned missions and saw a single one. He tapped it and it opened, revealing the mission's details and notes. Along with them was estimated time spent on the mission, the grade, and the payment. Lein? Was that this world's money? He'd ask Ozpin about it when he got back.

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Luckily for him, the scroll had a map of Vale in it. He would have spent hours searching the city for the place he was looking for. Apparently a few Grim had started showing up near the edge of the city. It was his job to look into it and eliminate the Grim of he came across them. Seemed simple enough. Now he just needed to find the exact people that sighted the monsters.

He jumped across rooftops, scanning the area for the bakery where said people were supposed to be.

" _ **D-Ranks again? I thought you were done with these after you proved yourself."**_

" _Only Ozpin knows what I am capable of, and that's only through my exploits. I have yet to show him any skills. This is probably a test. It would be best to just finish this as quickly as possible and head back."_

Naruto landed on a rooftop, turning to his right. This was the place. He hopped down, startling a few passerby's with the sudden entrance. Opening the door, he entered the shop. The smell hit him immediately. It was definitely a place he wouldn't mind spending time at. Somehow it reminded him of Ichiraku's, quiet, cozy, and full of good food.

"Excuse me, is anyone here?" He called out. He heard a clatter from the back and soon after a young man rushed out to the counter.

"I'm sorry! We are short handed today." He smiled at Naruto. "How may I help you?"

"I was sent about the Grim." His smile fell as the man nodded.

"I see. I can show you where they were at if that will help." Naruto nodded, letting the man lead him out of the shop.

After the quick explanation, he thanked the man before rushing outside of Vale's border, into the woods beyond. It wasn't much to go on, just that a few have been seen in this area. No direction towards where they went, no idea on how many there were, not even what kind of Grim. Sighing, he pushed on. Hopefully it wouldn't take too long, the rain wasn't doing any good for his only set of clothes.

Putting his hands together, he called out the familiar technique used in many of his battles.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A dozen clones burst onto the scene next to him. "Alright, we're looking for Grim. Just pop when you find any." They all nodded, running in different directions. Naruto continued straight into the forest. Not long after, he felt the memories of a dispelled clone come flooding back. After correcting his course, he dispelled the others.

Before he reached the place his clone saw them, he could sense them. It was faint, and his sensory skills weren't the greatest with unfamiliar targets, but as he drew closer, he recognized them as similar to the first Grim he encountered.

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Sitting in their dorm room, Team RWBY played a board game, finding some time to spend with each other outside of class. It was getting late and the game was drawing to a close.

"I wonder how Naruto's doing?" Ruby asked aloud. She hadn't seen the man since their last class together. "Do you know Yang?"

"At the fountain." She spoke absently. "He was doing homework when I left."

"Speaking of, what exactly did you two talk about? I didn't think you liked him that much, if at all." Weiss questioned the blonde girl.

"Stuff."

"Stuff?"

"Stuff." Blake looked up from her hand to watch Yang's expression. It didn't seem like her smile was her normal one, but it was still a happy one.

"What did he say?" Weiss tried to pry once again.

"Stuff."

"Will you stop avoiding the question?"

"Nope. Ask him the next time you see him." Yang smiled at the glaring heiress. "It wasn't anything really special. I just asked about the fight and he explained it to me."

"He was pretty cool wasn't he?" Ruby sighed. "He kicked your butt sis."

"I know that, no need to remind me." Yang stuck her tongue out at her sister.

"So do you not hate him anymore?" Ruby inquired.

"... No." She didn't hate him. After he explained the fight to her, she understood that he really wasn't as heartless as she first thought. She still wasn't sure if what he said was completely true, about him just trying to fit in, but for now she was willing to give him the chance everyone else was going to give him.

"What brought on the change?" Weiss asked.

"He explained some stuff to me." The heiress groaned in exasperation.

While Yang was normally the sharing type, she didn't feel right telling them what Naruto said. He would tell them all eventually, so she had no need to.

"Blake you've been quiet." Weiss noticed. "More quiet than usual lately. Is something wrong?"

"No." She wasn't lying, but she wasn't exactly sure if what was happening could be considered a problem right now. There was something about him that made her feel weird. She was jealous when she saw him with Velvet and she felt sympathy when they first brought him to Beacon, but she didn't know what that meant. Not yet at least.

"You know it's not good to keep feelings bottled up." Ruby told her. "It makes things easier if you tell others."

Blake nodded. While Ruby may be correct, she wasn't ready to tell anyone about what she felt just yet. That could wait until she could ask Naruto a few questions. Maybe then she could understand her own feelings about the blonde.

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The cave was dark. It seemed obvious to say, but he couldn't see more than a few feet inside. This was where the clone saw one of those wolf Grim, walking inside. He could only assume this was a nest of sorts. He made a shadow clone to scout out the inside. Even if he was prepared, all it took was one blindsided hit to put anyone out of commission.

While waiting for the clone to report, he leaned against the cave entrance.

" _ **Something is bothering you."**_

" _How could you tell?"_ His words were dripping with sarcasm.

" _ **Don't take that tone with me, you know as well as I do how. Now are you going to whine about it, or are you going to tell me so you can stop moping."**_

" _I'm not moping."_ The fox snorted at his declaration.

" _ **You're mind begs to differ."**_ The blonde was silent for a minute, his thoughts drifting towards Beacon.

" _Do you think I made the right choice?"_

" _ **Concerning?"**_

" _Letting myself be led to Beacon. It wasn't necessary, but running away didn't seem like the right thing to do."_

" _ **Only time will tell. It isn't like you to worry about things like that. Push through as you normally do. Eventually it will work out. Do you think you made it this far by planning every step of everything you have ever done?"**_

" _No, but I'm not doing life or death missions right now. I'm not in the middle of a world changing war. This place is peaceful. Only these Grim seem to be a problem."_

" _ **Every place has corruption and deceit, no matter how hard they may try not to. Just because you haven't found the problem doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Worry about it when it arrives. For now, kill those creatures and get back to that school. I don't want to hear anymore whining about the rain."**_

Naruto shook his head at the fox as he retreated further into the seal. Whether or not he would admit it, Kyuubi seemed to know how to get his mind off of things without being overly caring. It was an endearing trait, one he knew had helped him before.

He felt his clone disperse and stood up straight. five of those wolves at the back of the cave. He smiled as he walked past the shadowy entrance. Sounded easy enough.

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"Is it about… Jaune?" Ruby asked impatiently. While they agreed to let Blake deal with her feelings at her own pace, Ruby wasn't entirely ready to let it go. She had been asking about her problem for the past twenty minutes, their game long since over, as they lay in their beds.

"Why would it be about Jaune?"

"I don't know, but since it's not about anyone else we know, it must be him." Blake rolled her eyes. She knew Ruby meant well, but she wasn't just going to give in, even if she did correctly guess what her problem was.

"Fine, if it's not Jaune, then what is it? Is it because we haven't had much team training recently?"

"No Ruby, it's not that."

"Ruby let Blake be." Weiss groaned from her bed. "She'll tell us when she is ready. Besides, it's past eleven and I'm tying to sleep." Blamed nodded in appreciation to her teammate as Ruby pouted.

"Fine."

Blake kept on reading, despite Weiss noting the late hour. She couldn't sleep anyways. Yang was already snoring away above her. Without the distraction of Ruby she could finally get back into her reading.

The story was just finishing up too, the main protagonist having just saved his love interest from the villain. The man held her close as he proclaimed his love for her as she thanked him for rescuing her.

Her ears twitched. While she loved reading these stories, she couldn't help but wonder if that would be how her romantic life would end up. Her masked hero rescuing her from the bad guys and proclaiming his love for her.

She doubted it.

Honestly she had never really given any thought to her romantic partner, or lack thereof. She had been more focused on training to even notice if any guys were interested. Maybe there wasnt even a guy out there for her. Maybe she would end up living alone, living out her days as one of those crazy car ladies. She smirked at the thought.

Her gaze turned from her book to her teammates. Hopefully they would at least find someone to love them like the characters in her story.

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Yang awoke with a yawn. She turned, bleary eyed, around the room to see her teammates moving around and getting dressed.

"Do we have… a mission or something?" She yawned again, pulling herself into a sitting position. "I thought we didn't have morning classes today."

"We don't, but Professor Ozpin called us to his office." Weiss spoke as she checked her rapier. "It might be a mission so we are preparing for it." After rubbing her eyes a few times, she managed to drag herself to the bathroom for a shower.

"Do you think it's a mission?" Ruby asked the other two still present.

"I don't know, but we wouldn't be going to Ozpin's office unless it was important." Weiss stated. "That should do it." She finished examining her weapon.

A knock at their door echoed throughout their room. Blake went to open it, surprised to see all of Team JNPR standing there.

"Hey Blake." Jaune smiled. "Sorry that it's so early, but Ozpin called us to his office so we might be late to the training session we planned this morning."

"That's okay." She let them into the room. "We were called there as well."

"Huh." Jaune scratched his chin. "Wonder what for."

They sat quietly and waited for Yang to finish so they could leave.

"I'm ready guys, we-" She exited the bathroom to see four new people in the dorm. "Is this an intervention?"

Ruby giggled at her sister. "No Yang, they got called to the office as well. We were just waiting for you." Yang raised an eyebrow, but didn't day anything. She grabbed her gauntlets before following the other seven out of the dorm.

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"Thank you all for coming." Ozpin greeted the two teams as they stood in front of his desk.

"It's no problem Professor Ozpin." Ruby smiled. "What did you need from us?"

"I wanted to speak with you all about Naruto Uzumaki." Tension filled the room at the mention of his name. Did he really do what they thought he might? Was he on the run now? Were they supposed to go and track him down? "It seems as though Team RWBY has let slip to Team JNPR about his past activities." They understood what he meant. While they never spoke to anyone else about it, they told their closest friends.

"I want you to know, while it is nice to see you don't keep things from your friends, spreading this information to anyone else is something I would highly discourage." The two teams looked confused.

"What do you mean sir?" Pyrrha spoke.

"Naruto isn't a bad person. I won't say anything that isn't mine to say, but you shouldn't judge him based on just what you know." Team Ruby nodded, having already discussed this themselves. Team JNPR never really thought to ostracise him in the first place, so that wasn't a problem.

"What should we do then?" Blake asked.

Ozpin smiled. "Do whatever it is you feel is right. You need not be his friend, but I think he would appreciate it, even if he wouldn't say as much. From what he told me, he hasn't lived the best of lives and he did everything he has with a purpose. Treat him like any other student. In time you may find that he will surprise you."

Naruto was an enigma to them. They knew his name and little else, but he never once tried to actively hide anything. What little they did ask him, he answered. Truthfully or not, they didn't know, but from what Ozpin had said, maybe their first distrust was wrong, as they had already found out.

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Naruto stepped back into Beacon earlier that night. The Grim put up much more of a fight then he was expecting, but he cleared the nest in the end. The baker had thanked him for his troubles, and had given Naruto a small box of sweets as a way of showing his appreciation.

He held the box in his hand as he walked into the quiet building, heading towards the familiar elevator to see Ozpin.

"You are back sooner than expected." The voice made Naruto stop. He turned to see Ozpin approaching him from across the hall. "Did you come back for directions?"

"I found and cleared the Grim nest. The mission is completed." Ozpin raised an eyebrow.

"That was rather fast. How did you mange to get to the outskirts of Vale so quickly without a bullhead?"

"I ran." The simplicity of the statement almost made Ozpin laugh.

"I see. I suppose congratulations for a quick and successfully completed mission are in order. You'll receive your pay tomorrow morning, unless you need it tonight for some reason?" Naruto shook his head. "Very well. As for your living situation, I recently found that dorms are for students, not teams. In light of that, I made sure you were assigned one."

Naruto grit his teeth. "You didn't just find that out did you?"

"Forgive me, my mind must be slipping. Age does do that to a person." Naruto sighed as Ozpin smiled. "Come, I'll show you where you'll be staying."

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 _Coming Soon - Chapter 5: Learning_

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	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I do not own RWBY and I do not own The Legend of Zelda**

 **AN:** Lien is something I'd like to mention. All we really know is that they are little plastic cards, most likely used to represent an actual monetary value. For the purpose of this fic, these will be the monetary values and colors for each Lien. I'm also assuming that 1 Lien is equal to 1 USD

Green - 1 Lien

Blue - 5 Lien

Yellow - 10 Lien

Red - 20 Lien

Purple - 50 Lien

Orange - 100 Lien

If they seem similar to Zelda's Rupee color and value, it's because it is. It will help me remember in case I need any specific mentions later on.

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 **Reviews**

 _Concerns -_ Yes something is being planned. Blake had the, for lack of a better term, strongest reaction to meeting and learning about Naruto. Now that poll is over, I can transition to focusing on the pairing. Blake was going to be at least a good friend no matter the poll results, so I tried focusing on that first.

 _Names -_ Grimm was an honest mistake. I'll change it from here on out. As far as Kurama goes, I really just started writing Kyuubi since I was used to it from Bloodline Runaway. I didn't think it would be that big of a deal, but I'll change it to Kurama if it is.

 _Last Chapter -_ Yes, not much happened last chapter. I'm not one for making excessively long chapters, for my writing preferences at least, so when I find a decent stopping point, I end the chapter. Not every chapter will have major points scattered throughout. Last one was just Naruto getting more used to Beacon and new things, ie. Scroll, and setting up a bit for this chapter. Sorry if that comes as a disappointment.

Seriously though, you all are the best readers ever. Thank you for the massive response that this story has gotten.

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 **Poll Results**

Thanks to everyone who voted, I appreciate it. They are listed in the winning order, so now you know the pairing. Here's hoping not too many people get mad. I can't please everyone after all.

 _Ruby - 47_

 _Blake - 36_

 _Weiss - 25_

 _Yang - 17_

 _No Pairing - 4_

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 **Chapter 5: Learning**

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As they left the office, Team RWBY and JNPR had a lot to talk about.

"So what are we supposed to do now?" Ruby asked the small group.

"Get to know him." Blake spoke. "Try to at the very least."

"Agreed." Ren interjected. "Having another ally and making another friend are never bad things. Ozpin seems to think this is a good idea and I plan to go along with it."

"You think he likes pancakes?" Nora wondered excitedly. "Of course he does, who doesn't like pancakes?" Ren nodded in agreement.

"No, I get that, but how?" Yang asked. "He doesn't seem like the most approachable person in the world."

"He took to Velvet right away didn't he?" Pyrrha explained. "She has always been shy and reserved when not around her own team. If she can speak with him, we can too."

"Yeah. Like Blake said yesterday, he deserves a chance." Jaune added.

"I suppose it won't kill us to try." Weiss spoke quietly.

Unbeknownst to them, a blonde was sticking to the ceiling of the hallway, listening to their conversation. He saw them approaching and quickly hid himself. While he didn't have a problems with them, he didn't want a confrontation right now. After hearing them speak though, he didn't see it as a problem. Maybe he would search one of them out after seeing Ozpin.

They passed slowly, unaware of his presence. When he was sure they were out of earshot, he dropped to the ground, startling a pair of students that happened to be walking by. He gave them an apologetic smile before moving towards the elevator.

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"You're here early." Ozpin commented as Naruto appeared via elevator. "I expected you in later."

"I've been up for a while, I just decided some morning training was in order before coming to see you."

Ozpin nodded. "Well I have your pay as promised." He set down a small stack of plastic cards. Naruto grabbed them and looked them over curiously. "I take it you haven't learned anything of Lien since your arrival either." Naruto shook his head.

"No. We use Ryo where I was from. Paper bills with numbers showing their worth. Small coins were used for fragments of the smallest bill."

"Interesting." Ozpin pondered the concept for a moment before looking back at the blonde. "Lien has no other form, just these cards. We have green, blue, red, yellow, purple, and orange cards. They are worth one, five, ten, twenty, fifty, and one hundred Lien respectively."

"So this…" He examined the four purple cards. "Is two hundred Lien?"

"Correct. That's fairly average as far as a D-Rank mission is concerned. Since the students take one or two missions a week in their first year, that is usually sufficient to keep them in anything they want since food and board is already taken care of by the school. Higher Ranked missions will pay more obviously, but there are less of them and the more experienced usually take them."

"I see… So why send me on a D-Rank?"

"A test of sorts. I knew you were more than capable of completing it, but I was curious as to how fast you could, as well as if you would resort to, as you put it before, your more destructive skills for something like this."

Naruto nodded at the fair assessment. "If that was a D-Rank, I believe I could complete B, possibly A-Ranks, with only minor problems at most."

"Be that as it may-" Ozpin sipped from his coffee mug. "-I still have yet to see any of your skills to judge your level from. We can do that this morning if you have no other plans."

"I have none." Naruto agreed. "Where will I be showing you my skills?"

"Outside of the school. If what you said is true, then I don't think being inside of the school would be best for such a demonstration."

Naruto nodded further. He was right about that. Naruto tended to… break things when training.

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Naruto, Ozpin, and Glynda stood a decent distance from the school. They were ferried out by bullhead, as Ozpin and Glynda weren't keen on walking the distance. The area was mostly clear, a few small trees and rock outcroppings dotting the location.

"Alright, you may begin when you are ready." Ozpin nodded to Naruto.

"Well what do you want to see? I have many offensive and a few defensive skills." He wasn't exactly going to go all out and show everything. Certain things should be kept secret, especially some of his more destructive techniques.

"Defensive would be fine for now." Glynda had her scroll open, ready to take note of what he would do.

Naruto nodded. He disappeared in a swirl of leaves, appearing a hundred feet away. He disappeared again, returning to his original location.

"Interesting, I didn't see you move." Ozpin noted.

"It's short range teleportation essentially. That was about the limit for what I could do without possibly ending up inside of something." Naruto placed his hands together in a cross seal.

"Shadow Clone Technique!" Several copies of himself burst into existence. Glynda raised an eyebrow.

"Is that an illusion?"

"No, they are tangible copies of myself. I use them to help me fight." She nodded, jotting down a few notes.

"So you can become a team of fighters without requiring anyone else to help you?"

"Yes." Ozpin nodded, deep in thought as Naruto continued.

Naruto placed his hands together. He was shrouded by a puff of smoke. When it cleared, it revealed, to their surprise, Glynda.

"What exactly is that?" Glynda pointed.

"It's an illusion. I use so much energy doing it that the illusion is tangible, so I essentially am the person or object I transform into." He spoke in an imitation of Glynda's voice, shocking her even further before he released the transformation.

"Well that is certainly impressive." Ozpin stated. "Can you transform into anyone, or do you need line of sight?"

"Anyone or anything I have seen or can imagine. I could become a frog or a rock if I really wanted to."

The blonde man held out his hand, forming the familiar swirling blue ball. "This is a Rasengan. It's used for grinding and tearing a target, usually meant to incapacitate rather than kill, though it can be used to do so."

"Can you show us it's capabilities?" Naruto nodded, marching up to a small tree he was near. He thrust the Rasengan into its base, tearing through the tree. As the tree toppled, he released the technique.

"Impressive. Would you move on to offensive abilities?" Ozpin was definitely interested in seeing his offensive capabilities if that was what he considered defensive.

Naruto nodded, he formed a few rapid hand seals, before clapping his hands together. "Wind Bomb!" The resulting clap produced a shockwave of air centered on the teen. The two felt the effects of it, doing their best to stay standing as their clothing flapped wildly.

Naruto formed another set of hand seals after the wind died down. "Wind Dragon!" The air in front of him began to twist and mold, becoming visible. Soon after, a thirty for dragon hovered in front of him, roaring as it crashed into the ground.

The resulting blast sent up a large cloud of dirt and dust. When the smoke cleared, they could see a small crater had been formed.

"Well that was unexpected." Glynda tapped a bit on her scroll before turning expectantly back to the blonde.

"That's really it. I have a few more wind techniques, but they are simply variation of what you have already seen. The rest of my skills are too destructive for an audience."

"I would request that you at least show one." Ozpin spoke up. "We can move as far away as you seem necessary."

Naruto sighed begrudgingly. "Very well. Take the flying ship about half a mile away." The two looked confused at the rather large distance, but agreed.

After a few minutes, they sat in the bullhead, looking out at the dot that Naruto was.

"Do you really think this distance was necessary?" Glynda asked Ozpin.

"Better to be safe than sorry." He sipped from his mug, looking intently down at the speck, awaiting his showing. Not long after, they saw a swirling ball appear next to it.

"Isn't that the same skill he showed us earlier?" She soon swallowed her words as the ball grew massively, what looked like spike swirling around it. Naruto ran for a short distance before releasing the ball, it screeched forward, colliding with the treeline at the edge of the clearing.

To say they were shocked would be an understatement. The resulting explosion could be felt even from their distance, shaking the bullhead. They couldn't imagine being that close to that scale of destruction.

Once the smoke cleared, they approached the new lakebed Vale had gained, setting down near its edge. Naruto approached the pair looking guilty.

"I'm sorry for the destruction."

"It's quite alright." Ozpin chuckled. "Maybe we can fill it and have a nice swimming spot for the summer."

Naruto smiled at the joke before he dropped it. "I believe I have shown you enough to gauge my skill level. I think the rest of my skills would be obsolete at this point."

"If you have more skills, you should-"

"Glynda." Ozpin interrupted the woman. "He does not need to show us everything. Besides, he knows very little of us and he was kind enough to show us everything he had. In his position, I would be reluctant to show more than necessary as well." Glynda sighed, nodding in agreement. Naruto boarded the bullhead and it took off, heading back to the school.

"As a hunter, you can start doing A-Rank missions, maybe even S-Rank ones." Ozpin stated. "As the headmaster, I can't allow you to take anything above A-Rank until you are more experienced with the way our missions work. S-Rank missions are very delicate, taking long time to take with an always present chance for death." Naruto nodded, agreeing with the assessment.

"That being said, the academy isn't the place for you." Naruto gave him an inquisitive look. "You can't learn anything from us that would benefit you other than possible fighting styles and weapons you would encounter. I believe something unorthodox is in order."

"What would that be?" Glynda glanced curiously between the two men.

"Make him a second Qrow."

"A second what?" Naruto asked.

"Qrow is a hunter that is affiliated with the school. While he technically isn't a part of Beacon, he still comes by and does missions for me. I think you would be best in that aspect. You already expressed signs of rather working alone that with partners, and as most graduates do work alone or with a single trusted companion, you would be a perfect candidate."

Glynda stared on in disbelief. Making a kid do what Qrow did? The man, while she didn't like him much, was a very talented hunter, years of experience under his belt. Even he had trouble on some missions, brushing close to death on more than one occasion.

"Do you trust me to be out alone? Is this another test?" Naruto had his suspicions about the offer, but he admitted it was what he would be looking for. He'd basically be like a hunter-nin from Konoha, only now he was just a hunter.

"I see no reason why not. You haven't displayed any tendency to leave, nor have you been dishonest with me. I have a habit of trust those who trust me."

"If you are sure about letting me do this, then I'll accept." Naruto spoke. "Would I still be allowed to live at Beacon?"

"We've already bent the rules once or twice, I see why we can't again. As long as you are willing to accept mission when they arise, you may continue to stay at Beacon. Perhaps in your free time you could help a few of the students. From what I understand, Miss Xiao Long had taken your words to heart. Her training this morning was very different than that of her normal routine."

Naruto was surprised by that. He did give her advice he believed would help her, but he never expected her to take it to actually do anything about it. Perhaps her attitude towards him had changed.

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Team RWBY stood outside of their dorm, getting ready to head to lunch with Team JNPR. They had yet to see Naruto, so they just resumed their daily activities. After lunch they would begin their afternoon classes like normal.

"I wonder where he is?" Ruby inquired.

"I'm sure he's hiding around here somewhere. Besides, we should see him at lunch and in class." Weiss explained. "He still has to attend classes, especially considering how far behind he is."

As it turned out, he wasn't at lunch. They weren't bothered by it though, he would show in class afterwards. Only he didn't. Maybe he was just late? He could have gone to different room by mistake. When they were dismissed they knew he was a no show. The next class? No luck there either.

By the time Glynda's class came around, they were a mixture of angry and worried. He couldn't just be missing class on his second day here, but what would cause him to miss class in the first place?

They entered the classroom, sitting in their seats and waiting for Glynda to arrive. Normally she was already in the classroom waiting for them. Did something happen to her too?

Not long after, said teacher walked into class with another person, both of them discussing something quietly. Everyone looked in surprise as it was Naruto!

They continued to the front of the class together, earning a few confused looks. After a minute they finished, Glynda turning to face the class.

"My apologies, but I had to step out for a few minutes. As you probably noticed, Naruto is no longer sitting with you all." A few nods were shared throughout the room. "He is no longer a student here so he will not be in class with you anymore."

"What!?" A few people yelled, whispers flying throughout the room.

"Please quiet down." Glynda did her best to ignore the outburst. "He is no longer a student because he is a fully fledged hunter."

"WHAT!?" This got everyone yelling. "How come he doesn't have to sit through class anymore!?"

"He is far above the skill level of the first years. He has no need to be a student. For the foreseeable future, he will be sitting in to assist me in some of your sparring matches." She glanced at Naruto. "Whether that be through observation or a hands on approach is up to him."

More than a few students gulped nervously at the thought of fighting the blonde. They all saw what he did to Yang and she was one of the best fighters in the class, in the year even.

"Now that you know that, we can begin."

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That class was brutal to say the least. Naruto hadn't stepped in at all, surprisingly enough, but his remarks certain stung as much as punch. They were used to Goodwitch correcting them and giving then pointers, but Naruto was ruthless. Not even Pyrrha escaped his scrutiny. That was truly a shock for the girl, but she appreciated it. For once she wasn't invincible, she was just a student. He pointed out what could be corrected and she was thankful.

Class ended with the students all rushing to leave, all except Team RWBY and JNPR. They stayed behind to wait for Naruto. After all, since this was there last class, what better time to start getting to know him then right away.

"So how does it feel being a teacher?." Jaune asked. He was a little downcast after his assessment. Naruto spent the most time critiquing him. It made him feel… worthless? Not exactly worthless, but he certainly needed much improvement.

"It's weird. Though I'm not technically a teacher either. I just agreed to help Glynda whenever I felt like dropping in. For the most part I'm just a hunter being sent on missions. I'm always here for advice if you need it though."

They walked quietly through the halls before Naruto stopped. "Where are you all heading?"

"We were just following you Professor." Ruby grinned up at him. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"I'm heading back to my dorm for a quick meal before I go and train some more. Go have fun or whatever you do in your free time."

"What if we want to spend time with you?" Yang asked innocently.

"Then I'd say beat it before I beat you again Miss Xiao Long." Yang glared at him.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."

"That's what I thought you said." She crossed her arms in a huff, a playful smile twitching on her lips.

"If you all plan on accompanying me, I don't mind. I am going to train right after my meal though." The others nodded as Naruto led them to his room.

It wasn't any different than their own in all honesty. It seemed larger since there was only one bed and a small table instead of the normal four beds most dorms had. There were no personal effects that anyone could see, making Blake raise a brow.

"You don't have any pictures?"

Naruto removed his small cloak setting it on his bed. He moved to what looked like a small refrigerator, pulling out an apple.

"You are correct." She frowned at his vague answer, but left it be.

"Why do you get fridge!?" Yang yelled at the blonde. He looked over his shoulder as he closed it.

"Comes with the job." He grinned at her angry face, biting into the apple. "Make yourselves comfortable, though I don't exactly have enough space for everyone."

Situating themselves as best they could, they all took seats. Blake, Weiss, and Yang sat on his bed, making sure to not disturb the cloak. Ren, Nora, and Ruby sat in front of the bed. Pyrrha and Jaune took the two seats at the table. Naruto opted to stand, leaning against the refrigerator.

"Why don't you have any pictures?" Ruby asked expectantly.

"I don't have anything with me that could remind me of home." His answer was simple, yet sad.

"Can you tell us why you have done what you have?" Ren asked. Everyone looked at the boy in shock. Ren was usually the reserved and calm one. For him to just come out and ask that was completely insane.

Ren understood that it was a sensitive topic, but no one else would come out and ask it. If they spent all of their time dodging the question, they wouldn't get anywhere.

"Why do you ask?"

"I am curious, as is everyone else I am sure." The rest of them tried to be inconspicuous about listening, but it was obvious. "You don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable or if I offended you."

"No you're fine." He took another bite of his apple before going silent. "Love."

Blake felt something click inside of her. That was just like the book she had finished reading. The hero pushing forward, wading through legions of enemies to rescue his loved one.

"L-Love?" Ruby asked with sparkles in her eyes. She had always been a sucker for cliche romance.

"The love for my home." The girls slumped a bit at that. No tragic love story here, at least not the one they thought it might be. "When I joined the academy at my home, I was taught to fight for the village. You lived, breathed, and died for it if necessary. Killing was an essential part of what makes me who I am. When everyday you could be sent on the mission that would be the death of you, you fought to keep yourself alive. If you survived you were able to protect the village for another day."

"That sounds terrible." Pyrrha whispered.

"It may sound bad, but it wasn't. Everyone I loved was in that village. If it meant protecting all of your loved ones, would you kill someone?" Pyrrha didn't answer. "It wasn't that I never had a choice in the matter. I chose to serve the village. It was my way of proving to everyone that I was a capable person and not someone that didn't have a place in the world."

"Do you… feel bad?" Nora asked, surprisingly calm for the story.

"For killing? Yes." The others sighed in relief, albeit silently. "For protecting my village? Never. If I had to I'd fight to the death against an army if it meant protecting those I care about from harm." He smiled weakly. "That was the way I was raised though. It was drilled into my head for a long time."

"What was your academy like?" Weiss spoke. "It must be very different from Beacon."

"You have no idea." Naruto chuckled. "I started the academy at the age of six." They froze in place at that fact.

"You mean you were trained to kill people… when you were six?" Jaune whispered in disbelief. Ruby started to look a little pale.

"Yeah. I graduated at thirteen. I've been a hunter for four years now." Weiss raised an eyebrow.

"That would make you seventeen."

"Yes I am seventeen."

"You seem… more mature."

Naruto chuckled weakly. "I went through a lot before I came here. Let's leave it at that." He finished his apple, tossing the core into a small trash bin. "Well this was fun, but I need to train now. As much as I want eight people in my apartment while I'm away, I'd rather you not." The two teams stood and made their way to the door. He made his way to the bed, grabbing his cloak.

Unintentionally, he brushed up against Blake. She felt a shiver flow through her body before she mentally slapped herself. Why wouldn't her body stop acting so stupid?

He ushered them out, closing the door behind him. After a small and a wave, the two teams left, sans Blake. Naruto stared at her curiously.

"Did you need something Miss Belladonna?"

"Blake is fine." Naruto nodded. "Do you… have a scroll?" He pulled his from his pouch, nodding again with a smile.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Can…" She felt herself clam up. Now wasn't the time for being timid. She needed to ask. She had to. "... Can I have your scroll number?" Naruto cocked his head curiously.

"Blake come on!" Yang waved her back to the group.

"Never mind, I need to-"

"Wait." Naruto stopped her. "I don't actually know my scroll number. I haven't had much time to look at it. Can you give me yours? That might be easier, otherwise I'll be here for an hour searching for it." Naruto looked embarrassed to be so easily beaten by a small screen, but it was the truth.

Blake nodded, flipping through one of her notebooks to a blank page before scribbling on it. She tore the page out and handed it to Naruto before putting her notebook back with her school books.

"Thanks." She left before he could say anything, leaving him staring at the paper weirdly.

 _I wanted to talk with you about some things, but I didn't want to do it in from of the others. Call me when you get a chance._

Underneath was a string of numbers. That must be her scrolls number. Call her? What did that mean? What was the number for? He signed. Maybe he really just needed to have another long talk with Ozpin about this world.

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 _Coming Soon - Chapter 6: Training_

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	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I do not own RWBY**

 **AN:** Well I don't know what to say. Eight days and five chapters in and we broke 100 Reviews, 200 Favorites, and 300 Followers. Thank you so much. I've been doing my best to keep the chapters coming, I'm starting chapter 8 as of this posting, but I don't know how long it will last. Hopefully I can keep at this pace, but no promises. Anyway, I posted this a bit early because you guys earned it.

One last thing. I can't always catch it, but sometimes my phone corrects Ozpin to Oxpin and it won't say that it's misspelled, even though it's not in my personal dictionary. Trust me I've checked three times. If you see it, sorry I missed it, but I hope it doesn't bother you too much.

Also still looking for a Beta if anyone is interested. PM me if so.

Anyways, enjoy :)

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 **Reviews**

 _Interactions -_ You will see more one on one interactions coming up in the next few chapters. Team JNPR most likely won't get any since RWBY is the main focus of the story, specifically Ruby.

 _Concern -_ Yeah, Blake probably did get too close too quickly, but the way I see it is she has never had this sort of familial bond with another, other than Adam perhaps. As of now, she doesn't really have any close ties to her friends other than the status of teammate, and the idea that someone could understand her far more intrigued her so she took a leap.

 _Dr4g0onb411z -_ You were the 100th review so I'll answer your question directly. I've already been asked about Qrow and I said yes they would meet. As for a more exact time... check your PM if you want to know ;)

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Love and cookies to you all.

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 **Chapter 6: Training**

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"What was that about?" Yang whispered excitedly as the four entered their dorm room. "I saw you give him something. What was it?"

"It was nothing." Blake whispered, keeping her face hidden behind her book, out of view from Yang.

"You liar!" She yelled playfully. "What was it, a love note?" She smiled down at the girl as Blake glared over the edge of the book. It wasn't anything of the sort. She just gave him her scroll number so he could… call… her… What did she do? As Blake's face paled, Yang assumed she was right in her accusations.

"Ah ha! I knew it!" She did a little victory dance to herself as an angry Weiss burst out of the bathroom.

"Can you keep it down? I think half of Beacon can hear you!" Yang ignored the comment as she whipped around to face the girl.

"Blake has got a crush ~" Weiss lost her anger immediately, her expression transforming into something akin to amused.

"Oh does she? Who is it? Do we know him?"

"I do not have a crush on anyone!" Blake denied the allegations, but was ignored by the pair.

"It's Naruto." Weiss gasped.

"What? You barely know him though." Yang grinned even wider.

"That's not even the best part. When she stayed behind, I saw her give something to him before running back to us. I'm pretty sure it was love note!" Yang clapped her hands together like a schoolgirl.

"Really Blake? Love note? I thought you would go with something more… modern." Weiss pressed a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "Still, it is a nice gesture."

"It wasn't a love note!" The faunus blurted out, trying to get the pair to stop. She realized her mistake too late.

"Then what was it?" Yang grinned evilly.

"Keep it down, Ruby's already asleep." Blake scolded the girl before peering over at their leader. Indeed she was snoring away. How she was able to fall asleep so fast, given her normal capacity for energy, was beyond her. "Besides, it's not important." She turned over to face the wall, pulling the covers up over her head.

"Poor Blakey." Yang cried out mockingly. "She was left heartbroken after finding out Naruto's heart had already been claimed by another." Blake flung the covers off glaring down at Yang.

She chuckled nervously as she pointed at Weiss. "She stole it, not me." Weiss sputtered indignantly as she began to scold Yang for dragging her into the web of lies she was creating.

Blake rolled her eyes and hopped off of her bed, heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" Yang asked, genuinely curious.

"Out." She closed the door, a little more forcefully than necessary.

Weiss sighed, turning to Yang. "I think you took your teasing too far."

Yang just waved her hand in Weiss's face. "Nah she'll be fine. I wasn't lying about her giving him something though, I just don't know what it was. It looked like a piece of paper."

"Still…"

"Relax, she knows I was just teasing. Give her a few minutes to cool off and she'll be back, right as rain." She grinned at Weiss. "Or maybe even right as Yang?" Weiss groaned.

"That was really bad, even for you."

"Hey, you try having to come up with jokes all the time, see how easy it is… Or how hard it is." Weiss banged her head against her bedpost, hoping the thing would collapse and end the torture of Yang's humor. At least the bed wouldn't purposefully give her a slow death.

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"You don't know how to use it?"

"Correct."

"So you came to ask me?"

"Correct."

"Right after you were just with eight other students who know their scrolls backwards and forwards?"

"Correct."

"You see where I am going with this?"

"Yes."

Ozpin sighed and grabbed Naruto's scroll. The boy was definitely a strange one. After tapping a few buttons, and download an application or two, he handed it back.

"Just press this if you have a problem, tell it what the problem is, and it will direct you on how to fix it." Naruto nodded, staring at the thing that may save him hours, if not day's worth of trouble with the scroll.

"Got it."

"Is that all you needed?"

"Yeah."

"Very well." Ozpin rubbed the bridge of his nose. "While I always encourage students to come to me if the have a problem, you do not need to come to me for every problem. A simple question to one of your friends would have sufficed."

Naruto nodded before leaving the man alone in his office. Friends? Maybe eventually. Right now they were more… teammates. They hadn't yet gotten close, but they knew some of his history. They were like Velvet in that sense, though she was someone he had put his guard up for, rather than someone he had let his guard down for.

He looked down at the scroll as he exited the building, heading towards the fountain. He did have a dorm, but he didn't mind sitting outside for a few moments before heading off for training.

Taking his seat, he opened up the Help App, asking it on how to put a number in his scroll. With it's help, he spent way less time than normal doing what needed to be done. He smiled and patted himself on the back for a job well done, even if it wasn't exactly his accomplishment. The credit went to Ozpin there.

After asking the thing a few more questions, he found he was able to call, which meant talking over the scroll, message, sending letters through the scroll, and video chat, letting him talk and see the other person's face through the scroll. It was really astounding, considering the closest thing in the Elemental Nations he could compare to it was a train.

He figured he could send a message to Blake, letting her know he would be training tonight very Kate, so it was unlikely he would be able to talk to her. It wasn't exactly late yet, but the sun was definitely more setting than rising.

He typed up a quick message before sending it. He pocketed his scroll and prepared to leave when he felt it vibrate.

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Yang's teasing wasn't the greatest thing to deal with, but Blake knew it was the girl's way of having a good laugh between friends. She wasn't really angry, but she did want to have a moment to herself before getting back to her book, than possibly sleep, without Yang embarrassing her.

She didn't really know where she was headed until her scroll vibrated. That was weird, was Yang trying to get her back already?

She flicked it open and opened up her messages, her eyes widening when she saw who the new one was from. She didn't expect anything back so quickly. Especially that night.

 _Sorry but I can't talk tonight. Late training session planned. Tomorrow should be okay._

She felt a frown pull over her face as she read it. So much for talking as soon as possible. The sooner the better, in her eyes. She quickly responded.

 _Where at?_

She waited patiently. He was probably still adjusting, so she don't expect lightning fast typing from him, but she could wait. Her scroll vibrated.

 _Five miles outside of Beacon. Why?_

That far away? Wouldn't it be easier to train in the training rooms? Even just right outside the school if need be?

 _Why so far?_

The next message came a bit quicker than the last one.

 _I tend to be destructive. You didn't answer my question_.

She twitched. She. Really don't know why she asked him where he was training. Most people used the same four rooms, or just a clearing outside. She was glad she did though, since he would be impossible to find without knowing that.

 _Just curious. Could I watch you train? I'm not doing anything interesting and I'm taking a break from the dorm._

She anxiously awaited his reply. Maybe they could just talk face to face? Would she be able to sit through it though?

 _Meet me at the fountain._

Blake's heart skipped a beat. A nighttime rendezvous? Just like in the story with-

"No." She spoke aloud, stopping her imagination from running wild. It was not a rendezvous. He agreed to let her watch him train while she talked to him. Nothing more, nothing less. She steeled herself, taking a deep breath, walking down the halfway to exit the building.

Once she did, it was short trip to the fountain. Their dorm room wasn't too far from the school's entrance. When she arrived, she saw the blonde sitting on a bench, looking at his scroll intently.

"Naruto?" He looked up and smiled when he saw her.

"Blake, I was actually waiting for another message. I still need to get used to this thing." She suppressed a laugh as Naruto pocketed his scroll. "This may sound weird, but I'm going to need you to climb on my back." Blake froze, her head turning mechanically to look up at Naruto's face.

"I need to do what?"

"Well either that or let me carry you. It will take less time to reach the training area." He smiled innocently down at her.

"What?"

"I run… really fast. You'll see when we leave." Blake didn't understand but resigned herself to being carried piggyback. This way he couldn't see her embarrassment… or the small smile she had.

When she was firmly planted on his back, his arms underneath her legs and her hands gripping his shoulders, he turned his head back.

"You need to lock your arms around my neck." Her body tensed up. More unnecessary contact? She was having enough trouble ordering her body to function properly, she didn't need this too. Reluctantly she did as he asked, locking her arms together, her head lay against his shoulder.

"Hold on." That was all of the warning she got before she felt like she was being pulled back off of him, the wind was screaming loudly around them, whipping by at dangerous speeds. She closed her eyes and waited until it was over.

Not a minute later, he came to a stop, releasing her legs. She nearly tumbled to the ground but managed to keep herself upright. She looked around, seeing a Beacon tower poking up above the treetops in the distance. Her eyes went wide. They really were that far from Beacon!?

"How did you get here so quickly?"

"I ran." She didn't really believe it, but what else could have explained the massive distance covered. He did say he could run fast, but this was ridiculous.

Naruto formed a hand seal, creating a hundred clones. "Alright, work on the last thing we did." The clones grumbled for a moment before getting to work. They moved to the large crater in the ground before beginning their work.

Blake watched in surprise as a hundred other Naruto's began making hand seals.

"So." Naruto sat down on the ground, motioning for her to do the same. "What did you need to talk about?"

Blake joined him in sitting, fiddling with her bow for a second. "Just… something I've been having trouble with lately."

"Wouldn't your friends be better suited for that then?" She turned to look up at him. "I'm not exactly close to any of you, but you all seem to be a good terms. I'm sure they could help you a lot more than I could."

"They don't have experience with what my problem is, as far as I know."

"Oh?" Naruto crossed his arms in thought. "Well maybe I can help then. So what's the problem?"

"I'm…" How was she supposed to tell him? Hey, my body acts funny when I see you, what does that mean? It sounded stupid, even in her head.

"You know, you remind me of a girl I once knew." She glanced over at him curiously. "Hinata. She was really shy, rarely speaking with anyone outside of her close group of friends. She was in the academy with me, and even though she was considered one of the best girls that graduated, she never wanted to hurt anyone if she could help it. She had trouble opening up to people because she always thought she was weak and didn't deserve their attention." He smiled. "The last time I saw her, she…" His voice trailed off.

He almost forgot about what happened during the battle with Pein. She said she loved him. It wasn't something he was expecting…

"Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't let whatever is bothering you bother you. It will only end up holding you back and could cost you something you aren't prepared to lose. Just open up and let people see you for you."

Blake smiled slightly. His words did make her feel a little better about the situation.

"I don't know if that answered your problem since you haven't told me it yet." He laughed nervously. "I guess I should have waited for you first."

"It's alright." Blake smiled. "I appreciate what you said."

"Glad I could help."

She didn't know what it was that made her do it. Maybe it was the weird feelings she had. Maybe it was a sudden urge to do something, rather than sit back and observe like she normally did. Whatever the case, her hands made their way to her bow, untying it.

She sat quietly for a moment, staring at the ground while waiting for a response. When she received none, she chanced a look at the blonde. He was smiling.

"You look better without the bow."

That was all he said.

That was all she needed to hear. If he could look at her and not view her differently after he had seen her ears, then she could trust him.

"I've been having weird… feelings around… a person." Naruto looked over to his clones, still training brutally. "I don't know what it is."

"What kind of feelings?" He asked.

"I feel jealous when I see them with another person. Sometimes I think about them for no reason at all."

Naruto thought for a moment before it clicked. He smiled, laughing quietly. Blake looked up in fear. Was he laughing at her? Did she trust him to quickly?

"I think I know what the problem is." His smile softened. "It's not something you can just explain to someone though. They have to figure it out for themselves." He reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Try and spend some time with that person. Maybe they will start to come around."

It wasn't the answer she was looking for, but it was better than her stumbling around blindly.

"I'm not the best with being social." She admitted. "Before Beacon, I didn't really have any friends."

Naruto's smile fell into a look of pain. It shocked her to say the least. She had seen him smile, laugh, even be angry, but in pain?

"I'll help you if I can." He spoke quietly. "Besides, what are friends for?"

Blake smiled and nodded. A person to trust. Another friend to have.

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Naruto let her stay as long as she wanted to. He told her he could take her back if she wanted to go, but she said she was happy with sitting and watching him train. Regardless, it was training time, so he left Blake alone while he worked with the clones.

Blake was happy observing until her scroll buzzed. She ignored it… until it buzzed again… then again… and again…. Flicking her scroll open, she saw it was Yang. Well she didn't tell them how long she was going to be gone and it had been a little over an hour.

 _Where are you?_

 _Answer your scroll._

 _I swear if you don't answer I'll burn your books!_

She tapped out a quick reply before setting her scroll down.

 _I'm fine, don't touch my books. I'm with Naruto._

Almost instantly she got a response. She sighed and looked at the message.

 _I didn't mean to interrupt your alone time. Have fun ;)_

Blake groaned before replying. Seriously, did Yang have nothing better to do than poke fun at her right now?

 _I already said it's nothing like that. He messaged me and I met up with him. We've just talked is all._

Her gaze turned back to the blonde. He was sparring with a few clones, taking each of them out with a well placed stab. His skill with a knife was certainly impressive. A buzz interrupted her thoughts.

 _How did he message you? I didn't even know he had a scroll._

Blake ignored it, realizing she already let the secret slip. Another buzz…

 _You gave him your number!? Oh my god this is gold! Just wait til Weiss and Ruby hear about this! XD_

Letting out another frustrated sigh, she quickly typed out her final message before turning her scroll off.

 _It's not like that, I've said it a few times now. I wanted to ask him a few questions and he agreed to answer them. I'll be back in a little bit._

"Naruto?" She called out to the blonde. He stopped in mid strike, turning to look over at Blake.

"Yeah?"

"Can you take me back to the dorm?"

"Sure." He smiled, turning to the clones and telling them to continue. "Hop on?" He turned around., offering his back to her again.

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"Thanks." Blake stumbled off of his back. He dropped her off at the fountain, not knowing where her dorm room exactly was.

"No problem." He waved before jumping away, disappearing into the fading light of day. She began her walk back to the dorm, dreading dealing with Yang.

Her fears were realized when she opened the door to their room, seeing an excited Yang, a blushing Ruby, and a stern looking Weiss.

"Welcome back~" Yang sang out to her. Blake sighed before making her way into her bed. She pulled the covers up to her chin before noticing the three staring intently at her from Weiss's bed.

"What?"

"What exactly were you doing out so long?" Weiss asked. She'd reserve judgement until Blake explained herself at the very least.

"I was with Naruto."

"Yes you were." Yang emphasized each word. "Tell me everything!"

"I watched him train." Yang deflated a bit.

"That's it?"

"Yes." Yang pouted. That was no fun.

"So you aren't…" Ruby pressed her fingers together nervously. "... dating?"

Blake's cheeks tinted at the thought. "No, nothing like that." Ruby nodded, still blushing. Maybe it was her being younger than them? Her inexperience with these kind of situations could be making her uncomfortable.

"Alright." Weiss spoke, apparently pleased with her answer. "Next time you better tell us if you're going to stay out for so long though." Weiss shooed the other two off of her bed before laying down herself.

Blake turned over, wondering if the blonde man would be training all night. Her thoughts stayed on him as she drifted off to sleep.

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 _Coming Soon - Chapter 7: Misunderstanding_

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	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I do not own RWBY**

 **AN:** First look at Naruto and Ruby getting to know each other, not much else to say here. I hope you enjoy.

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 **Reviews**

No real questions, just a bunch of happy reviews. Thanks for the support :)

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 **Chapter 7: Misunderstanding**

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A week had passed. While it wasn't the easiest thing to adjust to, Naruto found himself in a decent niche at Beacon. Sometimes he still got weird looks, but they weren't hateful. For that he was glad. He had grown closer to Team RWBY and JNPR. They now made regular visits to his dorm. Never all at once, and usually only to stop by for a quick hello, but all the same it felt nice.

He had only been on one other mission since his last, another D-Rank that was outside of Vale. Growing restless would be putting it mildly. After going so long without a proper fight, he was starting to get twitchy. His training helped, but the twitch always came back.

After asking Ozpin about it, the man suggested leaving for a bit. Just a day or two, out visiting some places in Vale. Perhaps bring a friend or two along since the weekend was swiftly approaching. Naruto agreed. Maybe a day out would help.

That's where he found himself, sitting in his room, messaging the others about a day in the city.

Unfortunately, Team JNPR was completely booked, already having planned group training for the weekend. Team RWBY had readily agreed, so it would be a party of five.

 _When are you all okay with leaving? I don't mind what time really._

Naruto was messaging Ruby as the girl was trying to avoid her school work and he gave her an out.

 _I don't think it matters, as long as it's not to early. Yang can be cranky if she gets woken up too early._

Naruto laughed to himself. She seemed like the kind of person that would do that.

 _Well I'm sure I'll be up before you. Just come on by whenever you're ready, sound good?_

He tapped his fingers against his leg, waiting for a response.

 _No problem._

He was about to respond when he got another message from the girl. He opened it and raised an eyebrow at her question.

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Ruby lay on her bed, ignoring Weiss's demands to do her work due for tomorrow. She was having much more fun talking with Naruto, why should she ruin it?

"Hey what time should we leave this weekend?" She asked her teammates. "Naruto says he doesn't care when."

"Not early." Yang immediately spoke, looking around the room as if daring someone to challenge her decision. When no one did, Ruby responded with a few swift strokes to the scroll. She hummed a tune, while waiting for Naruto to reply.

"He said to just go over there whenever we are ready." She didn't receive a reply, but noticed everyone nod in agreement. She almost swore she saw Blake staring at her when she said that, but the girl turned back to her book too quickly for her to tell if she was or not.

After she replied, she immediately sent out another message, hoping she wouldn't be making him mad with that kind of question.

 _Do you like Blake?_

It was… well direct wouldn't do it justice. Blake had been acting weird for a few days now and it all had to do with Naruto. It took her a while to piece that together, but she did. Maybe Yang's teasing wasn't so far off?

 _Well yeah, I like all of you guys._

She smiled. He didn't understand what she meant, but she was glad he liked them all. They were basically friends at this point.

 _I meant like-like Blake._

She waited nervously for his response.

" _You mean like more than a friend? Like a girlfriend?_

"Ruby, please start on your work." Weiss sighed. "You'll be up all night if you don't start now."

"Not now Weiss. This is important." She quickly typed out her response before sticking her tongue out at her friend. Weiss rolled her eyes before returning to her own work.

 _Yeah, like a girlfriend._

She couldn't imagine asking him this in person. It was much easier to talk about this over the scroll. She was embarrassed enough when Yang only implied about Blake's feelings.

 _I never really thought about it to be honest._

She didn't get to finish reading as Weiss let out a groan. "Ruby, please. What could be so important that you can't do your homework?"

"It's just important." She huffed, rolling onto her back. Yang slipped off of her bed, shuffling over to her sisters bunk. Poking her head over the edge of it, she spied on Ruby as she read the only message she could see.

 _Yeah, like a girlfriend._

"Ruby?" Ruby jumped at her sister's voice, almost throwing her scroll. She clutched it close to her chest as she stared at her sister.

"Yang don't scare me like that!"

"Why are you talking to Naruto about girlfriends?" Weiss stopped writing, turning slowly to look up at the two girls. Blake had lowered her book enough to stare over at them as well.

"N-No reason." She squeaked out. That was enough evidence for Yang. She marched straight out of the dorm, her thoughts only on beating up a certain blonde.

Ruby sat frozen as the other two continued staring. Weiss's stare was one of disbelief and shock while Blake seemed suspicious. Maybe even angry?

"Ruby…" Weiss started. "...Why didn't you tell us you had a crush on Naruto?" Ruby flushed at the accusation.

"I don't! Yang didn't read the whole thing, it wasn't about-"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me." Weiss halted her. "Your personal life isn't my business." She turned back to her work silently. Ruby turned to Blake for help but the girl was already buried in her book. She let out a cry as she fell back onto her bed. This wasn't fair!

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Yang didn't even bother knocking when she reached his room. She kicked the door down, storming straight inside. Naruto was sitting on his bed, quietly tapping on his scroll. He likes up and smiled, giving her a small wave. He had told them they were always welcome and Yang did seem to like big entrances.

"Hey Yang."

"You have some nerve!" She glared down at him, standing right at the edge of his bed. "Corrupting my sister like that!"

"I did what now?" Naruto cocked his head. What was she talking about?

"What did you do to make her your girlfriend? Did you threaten her or something?" Her glare intensified.

"She's my what!?" Yang screamed as she brought her fist down at Naruto. He dodged it with little difficulty, moving off of his bed to stand near the door. "Hey calm down!"

"Don't lie to me! I saw the message!"

"What message?"

"The one Ruby just sent you about being your girlfriend! You can't hide from that, all of Team RWBY knows!" She stalked towards him, readying for another punch.

"Wait!" He got her to stop her advance. "You must have misread something Yang. Ruby isn't my girlfriend." He shuffled around Yang back to his bed. After picking up the dropped scroll, he turned it to face Yang. "See?"

She scrolled through the short amount of messages, losing some of her anger with each one.

 _I never really thought about it to be honest. Blake's a good friend, but I don't think she would like me like that. She likes someone else though. Besides, I'm not really looking for a girlfriend. I'm having enough trouble just trying to get used to everything here. Maybe one day in the future, but no time soon._

"Oh." Yang felt a little embarrassed by her outburst just now, but it was her sister. She would protect her if it was the last thing she did. "Sorry."

"It's okay." He smiled. "Just spy on the rest of the messages next time too." He chuckled as Yang laughed.

"Will do." She glanced back at his scroll. "What did you mean that Blake likes someone?"

"When we talked last week, I got the impression that she had feelings for this person she kept talking about. I could be wrong, but don't tell her I told you. I wanted her to figure it out for herself." He stared at her sternly.

"Fine." Yang pouted. She'd have to find another reason to poke fun at Blake now. She hadn't made a cat joke in while…

"Did you need anything else, or did you only come to attack me?"

"Yang!" Ruby burst into the room before Yang could respond. The short girl looked ready to fight. "Don't hurt… him." She trailed off when she saw the pair standing, not fighting, staring at her. "You aren't fighting?"

"I explained the situation." Naruto explained.

"Oh."

"Don't scare me like that Ruby." Yang threw her arm around her sister. "You're too young to have a boyfriend."

"I am not!" Ruby yelled as Yang pulled her out of the room.

"As long as I'm your sister you are."

Naruto smiled at the pair as they left. Yang definitely cared for Ruby, her reaction proved that much. Maybe she went a bit over the top, but he would have done the same if anyone had started to Sakura. They either treated her like a princess or they met his fist.

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"Why can't I have a boyfriend?" Ruby asked yet again as the pair entered their dorm room. Weiss stared up from her paper and Blake ignored them.

"Because I said so."

"That's not a reason!"

"Yes it is." She said matter of factly. "Every older sibling has that power."

"That's a lie." Ruby muttered, sitting down on Weiss's bed. "Weiss tell her it's a lie."

The girl sighed. "She just wants to protect you. You can get a boyfriend if you want to." Yang glared at Weiss as Ruby cheered.

"So who are you going to get together with." Blake spoke from behind her book. They couldn't see it, but her hands clutched the book much harder than necessary.

Ruby blushed and hung her head. "I don't know…"

"Why make such a big deal about it then?" Weiss questioned her.

"Because I'm not a kid. Just because there isn't a boy doesn't mean I can't date one… eventually."

Yang sighed. "Ruby, do you even understand what dating is?"

"Of course."

"Then what do you do on a date." Ruby began to speak when her voice fell. What did she know about dating? "See, you aren't ready for something like that."

"I know it involves holding hands and dinner… sometimes kissing." Yang bristled at her words.

"No one better be kissing you!"

"I can kiss whoever I want!"

Weiss and Blake sighed respectively. This was going to last all night wasn't it?

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The next day brought with it a shining sun and two angry girls. One was angry because she was being forbidden from even looking at boys by the other. The other was angry because the former took the time to stare at every boy they passed in the halls on their way to class, most likely out of spite.

By the time they sat down in their last class of the day, Yang was tempted to attack any guy that even glanced in their direction, most likely to spite Ruby. When Glynda and Naruto walked in, she managed to calm down a little bit. Glynda wouldn't approve of that kind of action in her class and Naruto would stop her before she could do anything to anyone. Best to let it go for this class at least.

That was the plan. Then Ruby had to start staring at Naruto. Dammit, there was no easy way out of this, was there?

"Today is our weekly reprise from set match's, you may challenge anyone you wish today." She gestured to Naruto. "Naruto will be stepping in throughout the day and fighting several of you."

After a round of nods, Glynda called the first person to the floor, their partner tagging along. It was then Naruto noticed something peculiar.

"Miss Rose, is there something wrong?" He called out. The people around her noticed her fixation on Naruto.

"No."

"Then please watch the match, not me." She sighed, turning to the pair of fighters as they began.

"You shouldn't be staring at Naruto." Yang whispers harshly. "People will start to get the wrong idea."

"You're just mad because I'm looking at a guy. Stop being so overbearing."

Yang grit her teeth. "I'm not being overbearing, just tone down the sultry gazes."

"I am not giving him sultry gazes." Ruby raised her voice slightly.

"You could have fooled me, you haven't stopped staring at any guy since we left the room this morning. For all I know you're practicing your seduction methods for later." Yang teased lightly. She was still angry, but maybe her joke would break some of the tension between the two.

"I'm not trying to seduce Naruto!" Ruby yelled. The pair of fighters stopped, everyone turning to the girl who now seemed mortified.

"Be that as it may Miss Rose, I believe that is a conversation left behind closed doors." Glynda spoke. The others erupted into either laughter or whispers. "Please continue." She waved at the fighters.

Naruto glanced up at the girl. She was doing her best to hide underneath her cloak, no doubt embarrassed by the outburst and being called out on it. Seduce him? That's the thing he had trouble seeing. While he didn't believe anyone her age could be completely innocent, she seemed to be more ignorant of the problems of the world than the others.

Maybe a talk about what happened would be in order.

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Class was over, Ruby had managed to avoid getting called. Whether Glynda did it on purpose, or she just got lucky remains to be seen. The four members of Team RWBY left as soon as they were dismissed, their leader moving a bit quicker than necessary.

It didn't take them long to make it back to their dorm, what with Ruby practically running to the room and the others doing their best to keep up.

"Ruby, I'm sorry." Yang kept apologizing. Honestly, things had gone too far. She didn't want her sister embarrassed like that, especially in front of the entire class.

"Shut up!" She yelled, throwing herself into her bed. Yang flinched at the words. Ruby had never said anything like that to her before. Most people would just brush it off, but coming from the person you cared about most, it hurt.

"Ruby, I didn't mean to-"

"Maybe you should just give her some space to breathe." Weiss placed her hand on the brawler's shoulder. "Give her some time to cool off."

Yang threw the hand off, opting to climb into her own bed. Weiss sighed, turning to her own bed. Work could wait. Maybe she could just relax for a few minutes.

Blake climbed into her bed, staring at the short girl across from her. She might have been jealous of her for what she said, but she felt bad for her too. Getting outed like that must have caused her quite a shock.

The knock at the door shook her from her thoughts. Weiss was already up, opening the door for their guest.

"Miss Schnee." Her ears perked up at the voice.

"You can call me Weiss Naruto."

"Very well. I'm here for Miss Rose." Weiss turned back to look at the girl.

"I don't think she's in any state to talk to anyone."

"I see. Well tell her I hope she feels better. Remember, we-"

"I'll go." Ruby called out. She hopped down from her bed, walking over to the door. "It's better than being here." Yang tensed visibly at the remark, but she made no move to turn away from the wall.

"She'll be back soon." Naruto smiled, leafing the girl away from the room.

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The pair were walking to the fountain. Maybe it was because he spent his first night there, or perhaps it was because the sound of water falling was relaxing, but he felt a lot calmer here than anywhere else.

Sitting on the bench facing the school, Naruto turned to the girl and smiled.

"You planned on seducing me?" Ruby choked at the question.

"N-No."

"I know." She looked up at him curiously. "Even if you were, you'd have to do better than how you were." He laughed as she turned scarlet.

"It was Yang's fault."

"How so?"

She crossed her arms. "She kept telling me I couldn't date boys, so I stared at everyone I could. I'm not a kid anymore, she can't tell me what to do."

Naruto frowned. "You say that, but your response says otherwise. Instead of talking it out, you immediately did everything you could to annoy her. That would be the definition of childish."

She stared in disbelief at the blonde. "But-"

"Trying to argue for no reason other than to get what you want is childish as well. If you are trying to prove a point then you are well within your rights to argue, but trying to tell me you're not a kid won't prove it to me."

Ruby kept quiet. Naruto smiled. "Now, would you like to explain why you had such an over reaction to such a thing?"

She was silent for a moment before she began speaking. "Yang's always like that. She tries to to act like a mother to me, not a sister."

"Why do you think that is?" Ruby thought for a moment before shifting in her seat.

"Well my mom passed away a long time ago and Yang's mom left when we were little. She's always been the oldest girl around."

Naruto nodded along to her words. "It sounds like she has taken up the role of mother since both of yours are gone. You know what I think?" Ruby cocked her head. "I think you're lucky."

She raised an eyebrow before frowning at him. "How am I lucky?"

"Because you have someone that cares about you even more than themselves. Yang would let herself die before she saw you get hurt." He poked her shoulder. "You are the center of her world and anything, Grimm, bad people, and yes, even boys, are all things that can hurt you. If you got hurt, it would hurt her twice as much." Ruby's face softened as the words touched her.

"Let's say, for a moment, you do have a boyfriend. One day, you find out he was cheating on you. How would that make you feel."

"I'd want to curl up into a ball and cry. Or never leave my dorm room again."

"Yang would feel all of that, as well as hate for the boy that hurt you." He ruffled her hair, prompting her to swat at his hands. "You're her sister, her only one at that. If she lost you, she'd be alone. What if Yang just disappeared one day, or came into the room crying because of a boy. How would you feel if you saw her in a state of disrepair or never got to see her again?"

Ruby widened her eyes for a moment before they started to tear up. "I wouldn't be able to keep on living."

"That's the exact same way she feels. Sometimes it can be overwhelming, even annoying, but she only does it because she loves you. More than anything else in the world. She's just doing her best to protect you until you can protect yourself. When that day comes, you'll be ready to deal with anything the world throws at you."

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand as she sniffled. "When did you get so smart about everything?" He chuckled.

"I grew up with a team. They were my family. I'd do anything to keep them alive and well, just like Yang would."

"What about your family?" Naruto stopped smiling. "I-I'm sorry-"

"It's okay. I never had any siblings that I knew of. Both of my parents died when I was young." Ruby stared up at him, tears forming in her eyes again.

"You've been alone your whole life?"

"No, I've always had the old man. He was basically a grandfather to me. Then there was pervy sage, he was the closest thing to a father I had. He had his moments, but he was a good man. Granny was a mom to me, even if she didn't like me calling her Granny." He smiled wistfully at his memories of the three.

Ruby shuffled nervously next to him. He was talking about them like they weren't there anymore.

"Where are they now?"

Naruto's small smile dropped yet again. "The old man died when I was twelve. Pervy sage was killed during a mission not too long ago. Granny is alive as far as I know, probably cursing my name for disappearing on her." He chuckled at the image of an angry Tsunade getting overwhelmed by paperwork.

"Why would she be cursing you?"

"I was supposed to take the village leadership from-" He stopped. He never meant to talk that in depth about his past.

Ruby's eye widened. "You were going to be a village leader! But all of the leaders here are old and your young!"

"Yeah, but I'm special." He chuckled. "Are you okay now?"

"I'm good." She sighed. "I think I should apologize to Yang."

Naruto nodded. "That sounds like a good idea."

The pair stood up before Ruby quickly hugged him. He tensed at the sudden contact, but smiled, settling for patting her head.

"Thanks Naruto."

"No problem Ruby." He pulled her off of him. "Now no more seducing until you can at least keep quiet about it."

She flushed deeply, turning around and stomping off. He laughed as he headed for his dorm room. Some day the girl would look back and laugh at herself.

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Ruby opened the door to the dorm room, peering inside. Weiss looked up at her before returning to her work. Blake snuck a look over her book, trying to be discreet. Yang hadn't moved from her position, still lying down facing the wall.

She crept inside, closing the door softly. She marched right up to Yang's bed before prodding her shoulder.

"Yang?"

The girl turned over, her eyes slightly red and puffy. "What?"

"I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to act like I did." Yang raised an eyebrow at the girl before she continued. "You were only trying to protect me, I know that now. Thank you." Ruby held out her arms hesitantly, her eyes tearing up. "Are… are we good?" Yang smiled tearily at her sister.

"Of course you doof." They embraced tightly, laughing or crying the other two couldn't tell. They were happy again and that all that mattered.

They pulled apart after a few minutes with a smile. Ruby's smile soon turned to hesitancy as she played with Yang's blanket.

"Hey Yang... What if there was a boy that I liked?" Yang turned her gaze to her sisters blushing face.

"I don't like it..." She crossed her arms. "...but I'll allow it." She glared swiftly down at Ruby. "If he hurts you, you just point me in his direction. He won't have kids after I'm done." Her smile was anything but good.

Blake's ears flicked as she heard the two below. Ruby didn't have a crush on Naruto for real now, did she? What did that mean for her? Could she really try and intrude now after saying nothing for a week? She sighed quietly.

This was going to be a problem.

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 _Coming Soon - Chapter 8: A Problem_

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	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I do not own Ruby**

 **AN:** Gonna start off with I love the support you all have given me during this stories time up. 130+ Reviews, 310+ Favorites, 430+ Follows. You're all awesome. Next is this… OOC. Keep this in mind for the coming chapters. I appreciate criticism, but don't say someone wouldn't act like they did. It's a fan fiction and I chose to write them like that. Lastly, this chapter will either be another "good" one, or you will all hate me XD. Expect, as the chapter title implies, a problem. Enjoy.

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 **Reviews**

 _Pairings -_ As I've already stated, and from the poll results, this is Naruto x Ruby. No one else will get paired with them and it will not become a harem fic. Not because I'm against the idea, but I have enough trouble writing just one girl. Having six more would be a living nightmare for me. I appreciate the reviews, but I won't change the story now just because you ask for a pairing.

 _I-R-Stormzz -_ Not annoying, more disappointing. Only in the sense that I can't please everyone though. I rarely read AN's when I read a finished story, but I always read them when the story is ongoing. You can definitely miss important information and sometimes even warnings or polls. It's a good thing to do and I always try and keep mine relatively short so you don't just skip them.

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 **Chapter 8: A Problem**

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The following morning saw a pair of reunited sisters, stronger than ever, waking up early to the rising sun. Ruby had slept in Yang's bed with her sister, circled up to her protectively.

"That was the best sleep I'd ever had!" Yang exclaimed as she yawned, sitting up out of bed. "I'm not even mad that I'm up early!"

"That's a first." Ruby groaned from beneath the covers. "It's too early for this, let's go back to bed."

"Ah ah ah." Yang smiled down at her sister's grumpy face, poking from underneath the sheets. "Today is our day out with Naruto so he can see the city. An earlier start means more to see and since I'm already up, you have to get up too."

"That's not even sound logic Yang." The girl groaned, pointing over to another bed. "Look, Weiss is still asleep and I'm sure Blake is too. Just relax for a minute."

"Did you two switch personalities?" Blake poked her head out from the bed above, watching them curiously. "Ruby wants to sleep and Yang wants to go and do something. It's weird."

"I'm just in a good mood is all." Yang smiled at the girl.

"Well don't expect me to start acting like Weiss." She pulled her head Back, stretching widely as she overcame her morning drowsiness.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Yang smiled before shivering at the thought. "That would be a terrible thing."

"I'm not that bad." Weiss grumbled from her bed. "Since you all want to have a party this early, I guess I have to get up too."

"Yep!" Yang grinned giving her a thumbs up. Weiss rolled her eyes before throwing her blankets off of her.

"Fine. I call first shower" She made her way to the bathroom as Ruby got out of bed herself.

"So what are we doing for the day?" She asked absentmindedly as she did her best to find a change of clothes.

"I don't know, but it better start with some breakfast. I'm hungry." As if on cue, Yang's stomach growled loudly, making her laugh in embarrassment.

"I'll let Naruto know we are getting ready."

"I already did." The pair looked up at Blake as she tapped silently on her scroll.

"Cool!" Ruby smiled. Yang however had a curious look on her face.

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"You mean tomorrow morning?" Naruto asked, standing in Ozpin's office.

"Yes. There is a small village a few miles outside of Vale. They've recently been having small Grimm attacks, but they've grown increasingly more frequent. A few children have gone missing, whether from the attacks or not, and I'd like for you to look for them while hunting the Grimm down."

"Standard search and destroy with hostages. Got it. Anything else?"

Ozpin shook his head. "No, but remember this is B-Rank. With the increase in White Fang movement near Vale, it's not hard to imagine that they perhaps played a part. If they to have the children, please make sure they get to their parents safely."

Naruto's eyes hardened. "No force in the world could stop me from protecting a child. Especially one taken from their parents."

"Glad to hear that." Ozpin nodded. "I take it you're taking a day out of the school grounds today?"

"Yeah. Team RWBY is accompanying me to Vale. Hopefully I'll get to see some cool stuff."

"Well enjoy your visit. Remember you leave tomorrow at the earliest you can."

"I have to ask, why not today?"

"There is already a hunter in the village. They have been protecting it fairly well so far, you are just backup. You already made plans so I see no reason for you to cancel them now. If something urgent arises, I know where to find you." Naruto nodded, leaving the office quickly.

As much as he hated doing it, he'd probably cut the day short and head out mid afternoon. The sooner he knew the kids were safe, the better he'd feel about it. He couldn't shake the thought of something bad happening to them. It would be on his head for not leaving sooner if it did.

He was so caught up in his thoughts, Naruto didn't even realize his scroll started going off. By the time he did, he had reached his dorm room, finding four impatient and worried looking girls.

"There you are!" Weiss yelled out. "Don't you know it's rude to keep a lady waiting?"

He smiled weakly, his thoughts still plaguing him. "My apologies Weiss, I was in a meeting with Ozpin. I must have got wrapped up in my thoughts after it was over." He unlocked and opened is door. "Please, come in and sit."

They followed him inside, Weiss and Blake taking a seat on his bed while Ruby and Yang sat at the table.

"You'll have to excuse me, I wasn't expecting you here so early. I still need to shower and dress." He had been lucky enough during his last talk with the headmaster to find someone who specialized in making clothing. He had the lady make him two outfits, exactly like the one he had when he first arrived. His money hadn't been enough to pay for all of it, but she had refused anymore, saying it was a favor for Ozpin so his two hundred Lien would be more than enough.

He made his way to the bathroom, undressing and stepping into the shower before realizing something. He didn't bring a change of clothes.

Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but with four girls in his room, he couldn't just go walking around in a towel.

"Uh, hey?" He called out. "I forgot to bring in my change of clothes… Could one of you bring them to me?"

Out in the room, three of them froze at his words. Weiss and Blake looked nervous while Ruby sported a small blush. Yang just rolled her eyes at the three before calling back.

"Where they at!"

"Under the bed." She raised an eyebrow at his questionable choice for clothes storage, but kneeled beside the bed regardless. She found two pairs of the clothing he was talking about. He didn't wear anything else, just the orange and black? She pulled the clothes out, banging her hand on the bed frame.

"Ow!" She rubbed her hand as she heard a muffled thump from underneath the bed. She peered back under curiously. A book? That wasn't there before. She grabbed it as well, looking over it closely. It looked like a plain black journal, bound closed with a string. She set the book on the table before marching to the bathroom.

She nudged the door open with a smile. "I got em."

"I thought you got lost for a second there." He poked his out from around the curtain. "Took you long enough. You can set them wherever."

"Uh uh uh." She grinned wickedly. "What do I get if I do?"

"A free ass kicking next time we fight." He pulled his head back as Yang pouted. She dropped the clothes on the counter next to the sink before leaving the bathroom.

When she walked back into the room, Ruby was looking down at the book with suspicion. Weiss and Blake also glanced at it from the bed.

"Yang, why did you grab this?" Ruby poked at the book.

"To read it of course." She sat down and began unwinding the string.

"Yang!" Ruby grabbed her sister's hand. "You can't just look through people's stuff like that! What if Naruto sees you reading that?"

"If he didn't want it to be read, he would have kept it hidden better. Besides, I'm sure it's filled with secret love notes for the girl he likes." Ruby and Blake flushed at the thought, but the red head remained adamant.

"You can't."

"I'm only going to look at a few pages."

Ruby glared before letting go of her hand. "Fine." She stood up and marched over to the bed. "I'm not going to be associated with that though." Yang rolled her eyes and pulled the book open.

"Yang, I think Ruby's right. You shouldn't be going through someone else's personal thoughts. He trusts that book more than he trusts anything. You're breaking that trust of you read it." Weiss implored the girl.

"One page won't kill me. I'll put it back after that, happy?" She sighed, turning her attention to the book. She flipped to the last page, hoping to find something about his time here. She couldn't help but notices the flecks of stained something that littered the page.

 _Today could be the official end of the war. Madara Uchiha, revealed to be Obito Uchiha in disguise, has shown himself. Naruto leads us into battle soon. I only write down these words because I know they will be my last._

 _The blood that has been spilled in this senseless war is sickening. Thousands of bodies litter the ground, more joining them each day. I was lucky enough to make my way back to base, but it all seems for naught. The medics can't cure my injuries, so I asked them to leave me in peace while I wrote my final words._

 _It seems strange almost. Though I know I won't see another sun rise, nor my wife and son's faces again, I'm not scared. I'm happy. Happy that Naruto will defeat Obito Uchiha, win the war, and let everyone go home. For once, the Elemental Nations will hopefully see a peace that can last a lifetime._

 _Suzuki, my wife, I apologize that the last thing you will receive from me is stained with my blood, but I hope you can understand the circumstances in which I am forced to write this._

 _Toshiro, my son, you will one day grow strong like Naruto. Follow in his footsteps. Protect Konoha from evil and become someone I am sure to be proud of._

 _Naruto, if you find this, please take it to my family. I know you can, you're the only one I trust with this book. Please tell them I_

The words cut off. Yang put down the book slowly, her hands shaking madly. She just read the last words of a dead man. One that Naruto had known at that. War? Madara? Obito? Konoha? These names and places were too foreign for her to imagine. Did he come from Vacuo? She didn't know much about out west.

"Thanks for the clothes Ya-" Naruto stepped out of the shower, smiling at the girls before his smiled warped into something they had yet to see on the blonde. Anger. "Get out."

"Naruto-" He slammed his fist through the wall, glaring at the four as his eyes bled red.

"I said get out." Yang dropped the book, quickly leaving the room with the others. He sighed, looking at the wall he just punctured. Today was supposed to be a good day too. He quietly made his way to the journal, picking it up and stowing it away back under the bed.

"Sorry friend. I should have kept you more secure. I was trusted with your well being and I failed you."

" _ **You know you can't ever go back, so it's contents don't matter anymore."**_

" _They do matter Kurama. The life of a ninja, any ninja, is important. He was a comrade, one that trusted me to give his wife and child some comfort that he thought about them in his last moments. A small favor to ask. One I can not fulfil now that I'm here."_

" _ **Then perhaps you are growing too attached to this world and its inhabitants. Ozpin suggested you become a hunter-nin, I see no reason why that means you have to be friendly with everyone."**_

" _Whatever the case, I need a break. I should head out to the village now since today's plans are ruined."_

He gathered his pouches, strapped them on and exited his dorm. He saw Yang stand a little ways away, shuffling her feet nervously. She looked up and saw him. He simply ignored her choosing to walk away. He had a mission to do.

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Yang stood outside, waiting patiently. Naruto was angry, something she rather hadn't liked seeing. She wasn't one to get scared, but the way his eyes changed color and the time of his voice… She shivered at the thought.

The door to his room opened, revealing the blonde to her. She made to say something, but was cut off when he began walking away. Whether he accepted her apology or not, she still needed to. She was stupid for looking at the journal in the first place, Ruby, Weiss, and Blake would let her know that when she got back to the dorm. She walked off after him, not too keen on catching up with the blonde.

After a few moments, Naruto stopped walking, turning to glare at her viciously.

"What do you want?" His murderous time sent her moving back a few steps.

"I-I wanted to apologize-"

"Don't." His tone shifted, now sounding annoyed. Perhaps even pained? "Just don't. There is nothing you can say or do that would make me accept you back into my life." Yang felt like she was hit with a brick. Out of his life, just like that?

"If it were mine, I would have scolded you. That was the life of a comrade that entrusted me with said life. I let him down and he died. He gave me another chance when he gave me that journal. It was his last words to a family that loved him and a son he barely knew. I failed him. I can't bring the journal back to them anymore."

He turned away from the girl. "I haven't read a single word of it. It was for his family, and for them alone. You… desecrated his memory for something like curiosity."

"I didn't know-" Yang pleaded but Naruto cut her off with a glare.

"You didn't know? Is that supposed to make it fucking okay or something!?" He yelled, stalking towards the girl. She stood frozen as he came nose to nose with her.

"I cared more about my village and its people than you will ever know. If there was a way to go back, you wouldn't even get as much as a single fucking goodbye from me. I can't, so I'm stuck here, and honestly, I'm thinking I should have just ran when you found me. I could have lived somewhere else, peacefully, protecting a small village maybe." His eyes bled red as his glare intensified.

"Do not expect your simple apology to work with me Miss Xiao Long. To not expect to see much more of me either. What little trust I had with you is gone and it will never come back." He took a step back and his his eyes flickered back to normal. "I have a mission, if you'll excuse me." He vanished in a flicker of wind and leaves, leaving Yang standing breathless in the hallway.

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Yang quietly made her way back to her room. She didn't want to face them, not after what Naruto had said to her. Her body was jerky, like she wasn't the one controlling it. Angry? She couldn't be. It wouldn't be right. Sad? While she didn't exactly know him the best out of the group, or for very long, she saw him as a goal to work towards. Be as strong as him and you can do anything. Now that her goal basically denied her access to his life anymore, what did she have to work towards? Being a better huntress of course, but she had no one to sharpen her skills against, no one to point out her flaws so she could fix them.

Maybe he was right. Maybe she should stay out of his life. She hadn't don't him any good up until this moment, what would be the point in trying to fight her way back in?

She sighed quietly as she opened the door. Three very scared and very angry faces flicked towards her. She just stared at the ground, closing the door quietly before crawling into bed.

"Don't say it." Yang spoke. "I know you want to, but please don't. I talked with Naruto and he made it very clear about my position in his life and how it is nonexistent. You all are fine, just please don't…" She whispered as she covered up. She did her best to ignore the feeling of the stares in her back as she tried to go to sleep.

The other three were now concerned. Naruto didn't want Yang in his life? Wasn't that a little extreme for simply reading a book?

"Yang, why did he say that?" Ruby asked, moving over to her sister, laying a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"The book was journal from a friend he had." She spoke quietly. "One that died." She felt Ruby stiffen against her before she slowly relaxed. "He said it was his job to return that to the man's family, but I violated his memory by reading his last words."

Ruby rubbed her sister's arm supportively. She couldn't blame Naruto now. The way he talked about his friends and his village was nothing short of astonishing. To think someone could he that close to something was crazy. Finding out that your friend's last words were read before his family could see them would be heartbreaking to say the least. He may have overreacted a bit though.

"I'm sure he's just having an over reaction." Surprisingly, Weiss was he one that spoke up to comfort Yang. "I'm sure he will still be angry with you, but give it a few days and he'll cool down."

"No, I understand." Yang said. "He doesn't need me in his life. I've done nothing nice for him since we met. I said he had to come with us to Beacon. I got angry at him for beating me in a fight. I was the one that attacked him when I thought he was Ruby's boyfriend. Now I looked through a dead friends memories without even attempting to ask."

"Yang…"

"It's fine Ruby." The girl sighed. "You three are still okay with him by my reckoning, so don't let me hold you back." She shifted slightly before closing her eyes.

When Ruby realized she was done taking she sighed, moving back to her bed. This morning really wasn't good way to start the day.

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 _Coming Soon - Chapter 9: Meeting a Bird_

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	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I do not own RWBY**

 **AN:** Nothing much to say here except how Naruto arrived in Remnant is in the review section if you care to know. It's buried in my rant/response/concern. It starts in the paragraph that starts with, "I never specificllay stated..." Enjoy :)

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 **Reviews**

 _Last Chapter -_ Well the general consensus is you all didn't mind the Naruto and Yang confrontation. There were a few concerns about Naruto being overly angry, but they mostly, read _mostly_ , seemed to stem from the fact that it was OOC of him, even though I specifically stated there would be OOC ness in the first chapter and in the AN last chapter. If the OOC bothers you that much, you are free to not read the story.

 _Guest Reviews -_ I have no problem with guest reviews. I don't see why you don't just make a profile, even if it only for reviews, because some writers don't allow guest reviews on their stories, but you keep doing you. However, and I could be wrong about it being a single person, a guest is criticising the story for reasons I've already covered or that make no sense. I am always open to criticism and earlier on in the story a helpful reviewer pointed out a mistake with Glynda. Not her being OOC, but the fact that the older generation wouldn't act like that. I appreciate that.

What I don't understand is when people make points that aren't even points in the story. I quote the review, " _You're pushing it. Naruto would not behave that way, at the very least, not with those words. I get this whole argument that being fanfiction you can write your way, but this is a crossover, so, you're breaking the suspension of belief that Naruto was flown with air kaguya to remnant,"_ end quote.

What does OOC ness have to do with crossovers? There are no unwritten or written rules that state if a crossover is done, only certain elements may contain OOC ness.

Kaguya? I have no idea how you came up with that. I have never once mentioned Kaguya in the story and didn't plan on it. Naruto loses against Madara/Obito, not Kaguya.

Naruto referring to people in a more polite manner. OOC... If that doesn't answer it, nothing will.

I never specifically stated it, but Naruto made it to the "void" was during his fight with Obito, he was knocked unconscious. At that point, Kurama had gained control of Naruto's body like how Shukaku gained control of Gaara, though not violently. Kurama was in the process of trying to heal Naruto from numerous wounds and didn't bigger suppressing his chakra. Bijuu chakra, coupled with the large amount of chakra being used in the area created a tear, hence the title. It was like a Kamui, but the target, Naruto, didn't have a destination, so he ended up in the "void."

I'm not hating on your review, if you even read this, but I am curious as to how you came up with that. I always leave notes and explanations, if the question is pertinent story information that can be revealed, in the AN or in this review section. Either read them, or don't complain because you didn't, as I have answered everything you had a problem with except how Naruto got to Remnant, which I just did answer. No one asked until now, and it isn't incredibly important to the story, so I left it out.

Whether or not you do from now on isn't my problem. I told you where and how to get your answers so it's up to you if you want them. You probably won't read this either though, so I'm now just pointlessly typing. Moving on.

Like I said, guest reviews aren't a problem, but they can be. Hateful reviews, in guest form, will either be deleted or laughed at. If you are manly, or womanly, enough to do so through your account, good for you. If it becomes a problem, I will simply disable guest reviews for my stories. I apologize to the guest reviewers that are actually nice and give good criticism, but I don't want to read through a bunch of comments that say kill yourself or other degrading and/or hateful things. This response has gone on long enough, enjoy the story.

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 **Chapter 9: Meeting a Bird**

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Yang didn't leave her bed that day, not even to eat with the rest of her team. The girls had brought back some food with them, but it remained untouched. They thought it was just a slump, she would be back to her cheery self tomorrow.

Only the next day she still wouldn't get out of bed. They tried everything they could think of but she still wouldn't budge. Eventually they gave up. Classes tomorrow would pull her away from her funk.

Right they were. However much she didn't want to attend class, she couldn't ditch just to mope. She could do that when she got back to the dorm.

They made their way to their first class, not entirely ready to listen to Dr. Oobleck… well, speak. Regardless, they took their seats and prepared to take notes. Maybe the class would distract them from their troubles.

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Naruto set off after yelling at Yang. Admittedly, he felt bad. He shouldn't have shouted like he did, but that was the only piece of his home he had with him. One of the medics made sure it got into his hands before the fight with Obito had begun and he promised to deliver it to his family. Only now he couldn't.

Maybe he was just being too harsh? She found it, so the securing mechanism must not have been properly set. It was his fault in a way.

He still couldn't forgive her just looking through someone else's things though. If that had been a journal written by him, he would have almost definitely made mentions to his dimension hopping and Kurama. Who knows how they would have handled alien with a demon inside of him.

He'd have to think more on it when his mission was finished. The village wasn't too far away at his speed, maybe another hour or two? The sun had yet to reach it's peak, so he'd been traveling for what? Four hours? It didn't feel like it had been that long.

His scroll vibrated as he pulled it out, slowing down enough to not collide with anything accidentally.

 _The village is East-North-East from Beacon. I figured you would like to know after your sudden departure. May I inquire as to why you left?_

Naruto frowned as he flicked his fingers over the keyboard before turning his scroll off. He didn't need any distractions while on the mission.

 _Thanks. Ask Yang, she can explain it._

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After adjusting his direction slightly more northward, taking an extra half hour to get there, Naruto arrived at what seemed to be the appropriate village. It wasn't overly big, but it didn't seem like a small one either. The streets were filled with people, surprising since the report had made it seem as though Grimm attacked every other night.

He walked into the village, taking in his surroundings. He felt people giving him odd and fearful looks, obviously not happy with a stranger in town.

"Excuse me?" He called out, stopping a young couple. They gazed at him with hesitancy. "Is there a hunter staying in the village? I was sent from Beacon to aid them." They seemed to sigh in relief, pointing him all too happily at the bar across the street. Naruto gave his thanks before walking across said street and into the bar.

Musty would be the best word to describe it. It wasn't exactly welcoming, but it didn't seem like such a bad place either. He joined a man at the bar, seeing as he was the only one with a weapon around.

"When Oz told me I'd be getting help, I didn't think he'd send a kid." The man placed his glass down.

"I didn't think I'd be helping a drunk. I could smell you the moment I walked in the doors." Naruto waved the bartender away. Now wasn't the time for drinking.

"That's funny, I don't remember being drunk."

"You usually don't." The man cracked a smile.

"Names Qrow."

"Naruto Uzumaki."

"Naruto huh? Weird name." He casually gulped his drink down before paying the bartender. "Well you seem all business. I'll show you around." Naruto nodded, following the man out of the bar. He couldn't help but notice a few people smiling, even waving in their general direction. Qrow must have done some good since he has been here.

"I take it you're not from around these parts." Qrow commented. "You look at everything like you've never seen any of this before."

"You could say that." Naruto muttered.

"Here it is." Naruto looked up, seeing a small house in front of him.

"This is what exactly?"

"One of the kids that were taken used to live here. Figured you'd want to ask some questions." Naruto nodded in appreciation as Qrow knocked on the door. A moment later, a woman answered the door. She had a pair of fox ears attached to her head.

"Yes?"

"This here is Naruto, the hunter that's helping me. He just wanted to ask you some questions Helen." She invited them inside quickly, closing the door behind them.

Naruto was soon buffeted by children. All three of them looked no older than four, but they stared up at him in wide eyed curiosity. He smiled, patting their heads before wiggling free to join the other two in the living room.

"I apologize for them. They haven't seen you before-"

"A child's curiosity. More so since they are part fox." She stiffened at his words. "No disrespect to you or them of course. I'm not a prejudice. I actually have quite a fond attachment to foxes, so if anything they're even better than normal people." He smiled, putting the woman's fears to rest.

"Thank you Naruto. I can't tell you how much you coming to help us means."

"Think nothing of it." He spoke. "Can you tell me the last time you saw him?"

"Three days ago. Ash was outside with his siblings when I called them in for dinner. The other three came in and they said some man was talking to him. I went outside and he was gone. At first I thought he ran off with a friend, but then his friend's parents came here looking for their children as well. That's when I knew something was wrong."

"Alright." Naruto leaned forward. "This may sound strange, but as a fox faunus, do you give off a fox like odor?" She raised an eyebrow at his question. Qrow seemed interested in where he was taking this.

"From what I understand, faunus can sometimes exhibit certain characteristics of their animal half. I have a heightened sense of smell and if you give off a different scent than another faunus or human, I could track him."

Her eyes widened in understanding. "I think. Every faunus has their own brand of pheromones, but they don't tend to be released unless the faunus is… aroused." She spoke with a little embarrassment.

"That's okay. What can you tell me about the others that were taken?"

"Two other boys, around Ash's age. One was a bit bigger, short blonde hair, a lion faunus. The other one is about Ash's size, long brown hair. He is a snake faunus."

"I see." Naruto pressed his hands together. He was pretty sure he knew why they were taken, now he just needed the where. "Do you have any idea where they could have been taken?"

"I'm not sure. I just don't understand how someone could take my baby from me!" She cried out, sobbing softly into her hands. Naruto glanced at Qrow before standing up.

"You've been extremely helpful Helen." Naruto pat the woman's shoulder. "I swear on my life, I will bring your son back to you if it's the last thing I do."

She nodded her thanks wiping her face with several tissues. "Thank you."

Naruto just smiled before Qrow led him back out of the house. Once outside, the man glanced at the blonde.

"So what did you find out?"

"If the White Fang have been operating in this area, it's possible they have been staging Grimm attacks as covers for kidnapping. The only kids they took were Faunus, young but not overly so. If I had to guess, I'd say they were taking kids to train as members from a young age. The Grimm attacks would make people think they were killed or eaten so they wouldn't be looked for or reported missing."

"I haven't seen any White Fang since I've been here."

"That doesn't mean they aren't here though." Naruto stated. "Ozpin said their activity in this area had gone up. With you here, they probably are scared to attack. Fighting villagers is easy, but a trained hunter? I'd be weary if my targets were now protected by someone like you."

"So you've heard of me?"

Naruto shrugged. "Ozpin's been very tight lipped on the matter. I only know that you do missions for him, but aren't a part of the school. I'm like you in that regard." Qrow raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't say anything. He'd talk to Ospin when this mission was over.

"That being said, I have a way to track the kids." Naruto walked towards the edge of the village, Qrow following him curiously.

"How do you plan on doing that? I've checked everywhere within a mile of this place and found nothing."

"I don't like to advertise my skills, that's not how I was trained. I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention this to anyone." Naruto found a spot a little ways into the woods where he wouldn't be interrupted. He sat on the ground in a meditative pose, holding himself still.

Qrow didn't say a word, opting to lean against a tree and watch. The blonde didn't even look like he was breathing, almost like he died sitting there. Whatever this was, it seemed important enough to require complete concentration, so he stayed quiet.

Not long after, Naruto opened his eyes. They had changed from the blue Qrow saw earlier to a vivid yellow. His pupils had also changed, now looking like a horizontal bar instead a normal circle. Both were lined with an orange color that wasn't there earlier.

"Faunus?" Qrow asked.

"No." His words were calm. "I am not a faunus. It is a special ability I have." He closed his eyes as the orange color faded. When he reopened them, they were blue again. "I found them."

Qrow gave him a skeptical look. "You sat still for a few minutes, how exactly does that qualify as finding someone."

"When I use that ability, I am connected with nature. Anything in my range that is connected becomes something I can sense." He raised an arm, pointing away from the village. "Two and half miles in that direction. A few guards are with them, most likely not the main bulk of the attackers."

"Well let's go."

Naruto held a hand up to stop the man. "One moment, I need to create clones to guard the village. You never know when an attack could occur." Before Qrow could ask what he meant, Four over Naruto's popped into existence. He didn't say anything. He'd already seen the kid apparently connect with nature, change the structure of his eye, and find three kids and a White Fang hideout. A few more of him didn't really seem that odd now.

"Guard the village. One of you dispel if there is trouble." They nodded before running back to the village. The residents were in for a shock when they saw four of him running around. "We can leave now." Qrow took off, Naruto following him easily through the trees.

This kid was definitely a strange one.

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Surprisingly enough, they reached the hideout without incident, a small cave by the looks of it. Qrow approached the opening of the cave, his eyes trying to pierce the darkness of the entrance.

"I suggest I lead the way." Naruto offered. "I can do my best to incapacitate the guards as I find the kids. You can follow, finishing the guards and making sure none escape."

Qrow scratched his chin in thought. "The way I see it, you're here helping me. Why not just make those copies of yourself and swarm the place?"

"Relying on one skill only leaves you with a glaring weak spot. Figure out how to negate the skills usefulness and you become little more than a civilian." The blonde thought back to his younger days. Lucky for him, clones and a Rasengan was all he needed to get by.

" _ **Myself as well."**_

" _Yes Kurama, you are very important."_ He rolled his eyes at the fox.

"Then I'll go in first. I have the most experience here and I'll be able to react quicker to any ambush or traps." While normally sound logic, Naruto couldn't help but think he probably had more experience than the man. No point in arguing though when there were children that needed saving.

"Very well." Naruto nodded as Qrow entered the cave quickly. He followed, avoiding the loose rocks on the ground if he could. Any unnecessary noise would draw the attention of the guards.

It took merely a few minutes to reach the place they were being kept. Five people in similar attire and masks were sitting around a small fire cooking something. Naruto could spot the three huddled together against the far wall.

Qrow made a motion to hold when one of the five began speaking.

"Stupid hunters. Beacon sent Qrow as well. Our backup better arrive soon, I don't want to fight him with only five of us." Naruto caught Qrow's gaze before silently speaking.

 _Are the guards expendable?_

Qrow hesitated for a moment before nodding. He thought he'd have trouble with the kid if he hadn't at least witnessed death before. At least that wasn't a problem.

Naruto pulled two kunai out of his pouch, whipping his hand forward. The kunai sailed straight, piercing the two guards nearest to them in the back of the head. As they fell over, Qrow emerged, locking two others in battle. The third began reaching for a weapon, but was stopped when he felt cold metal pressed against his neck.

"I wouldn't do that." Naruto held his kunai still as he looked over to the frightened trio. Witnessing death wasn't easy. It was hard for him at twelve, they couldn't have been more than eight or nine. Hopefully they would recover.

Qrow stabbed one of the men through his stomach with his blade, kicking him to the side. The other charged, holding a sword at his side. He swung wide, letting Qrow duck underneath the swing. He raised his head quickly, smashing it into the chin of his opponent.

As he fell back, dazed and in pain, Qrow finished him off the way he did the man's partner.

As he cleaned his blade of the blood, he looked over to the one still alive. "You left him alive?"

"Interrogation. Once he talks, I'll kill him too." The man laughed.

"Like I'd ever tell you anything. I'd rather die."

"You will." Naruto stated, like it was the simplest thing in the world. "Only after you talk." His eyes turned to Qrow. "I suggest you take the kids out of here. Neither you or they will want to see this."

Qrow gave him a questioning glance before herding the young ones out of the small room and through the cave back to daylight.

Naruto turned to the man with a light smile.

"You have one chance. Tell me everything you know, or I'll be forced to have you visit a friend of mine."

"Really?" The faunus cackled wildly, spitting in Naruto's face. "You think you can intimidate me?"

Naruto's smile turned more predatory as his eyes bled scarlet. "Well at least you are going to put up a fight."

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Qrow waited outside of the cave with the kids. Honestly, he didn't know how to handle the situation. They just kept together, quietly observing him.

"Are you all alright?" They nodded. Well that was good. "As soon as Naruto gets back, we can-" He was cut off by an undignified shriek. It was faint, but he heard it. That must have been the man Naruto was going to interrogate. What made a fully grown man cry out like that though?

He need not owner any longer as Naruto exited the cave. The blonde looked over at the kids.

"Are you three okay?" They nodded yet again. "Good. We can take you back home now. I only spoke with Helen, but I know she'll be happy to see you again." He looked at the fox faunus. The boy seemed to perk up at the mention of his mom.

"What did you do?" Qrow asked as they started walking back to the village.

"I introduced him to a friend of mine." That didn't really tell him anything. It could have been a weapon he named or a special tool used especially for occasions like this. It did little to narrow down the possibilities.

"Well did you learn anything?"

Naruto frowned at that. "Nothing good. Can it wait until we go back to Beacon?" Qrow nodded. He hated having to repeat himself too.

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Qrow led the lion and snake faunus to their homes since Naruto did not meet their parents. He steered the quiet Ash to the house he visited not too long ago. A knock on the door later, they were standing in front of the house waiting.

Helen answered, immediately seeing Naruto standing there. "Oh, Naruto. Did you need-" Her voice failed her as she noticed her son standing with him.

"Like I promised." He smiled, patting the boy's shoulder. "Go on." He pushed the boy gently. Ash ran up to his mother, hugging her tightly.

"Ash!" She cried, holding the boy like her life depended on it. "Oh I'm so glad you're home." Tears flooded from her eyes as she looked up at Naruto. "Thank you."

"It was no problem." He smiled at the pair. "I have to head back to Beacon now, but I'll be sure to visit if I'm ever in the area." The woman nodded. Naruto left quickly, keeping his emotions inside. He was glad the pair was reunited, but he couldn't help but feel sad. Never had he experienced anything like that. A motherly embrace.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Hr hadn't thought about it much before, but seeing it made the emotions well up.

" _ **You really are going soft."**_

" _Oh shut it. Like you wouldn't cry if the Sage of the Six Paths just reappeared and gave you a hug."_

" _ **I am far above something like shedding tears. If this is your attempt at trying to get me to act more human, I no longer wish to speak."**_

Kurama cut off the connection as Naruto chuckled. Damn fox was too easy to mess with.

"Hey kid." Qrow called out. Naruto stopped walking, realizing he was just letting his feet take him wherever they pleased.

"Yes?"

"Are you finished here?"

"My mission is complete."

"I'll take that as a yes. We should head back to Beacon now. Oz needs to hear whatever you found out from that guy."

"Very well." Naruto took one last look at the village before both him and Qrow began walking towards Beacon. "Let's go."

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The journey back was quite a bit longer than the one to the village, taking almost a day. Qrow didn't quite have Naruto's level of speed, so the blonde was forced to travel at a slower pace. He didn't mind though. It gave him time to think about what happened with Yang. They approaches the academy, Qrow taking a swig from his flask.

"How long have you been here Naruto?" Naruto didn't look over at the man as he answered.

"Almost two weeks."

"So were you already a hunter when you joined or something?"

"You could say that." Naruto spoke. Qrow glanced at the blonde. Before he could ask his next question, he heard a shrill voice cry out of nowhere.

"Uncle Qrow!" An excited Ruby jumped and latched herself onto the man. "I didn't know you were coming?"

"I didn't either." He smiled at the girl. "I finished up my mission early thanks to Naruto." Ruby froze, turning to see the blonde standing beside her uncle.

"Uh… Hi?" She smiled weakly.

"Hello Ruby." Naruto greeted her. Ruby sighed in relief. It seemed Yang was right about him not hating all of them.

"You know each other?" Qrow asked. Ruby blushed as she let go of the mans arm. He stared curiously at her reaction.

"Yeah, we kind of brought him to Beacon."

"Is that so." The man drawled out. "Maybe you can tell me about it later kid, we gotta meet with Oz." He put a hand of her head before leaving her standing there with Naruto.

"You went on a mission with Uncle Qrow?"

"I was sent as backup yes. I'll see you later Ruby." He swiftly followed after Qrow, leaving the girl alone. She soon headed back to her room with the news.

"Yang!" Ruby called out as she burst into the dorm room. "Uncle Qrow is here!" The girl sat up in her bed at the mention of the man.

"He is?" Ruby nodded excitedly.

"Yeah! I saw him in front of the school with Naruto! They were going to see Ozpin about their last mission, but I think he'll come by after that." Yang's face fell at the mention of Naruto.

"Sounds fun." She laid back on her bed.

Ruby sighed. "Yang, come on. You can't keep acting like this." The girl refused to respond, only serving to make Ruby sigh again. When Uncle Qrow got here, he could meet the rest of her team. Maybe he could cheer Yang up too.

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 _Coming Soon - Chapter 10: Fixed_

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	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I do not own RWBY**

 **AN:** Well I'm starting to run low on reserved chapters, and by low I mean I'm out. -_-' I am 1k words into chapter 11 as of this posting. Updates might be coming a little slower for a bit, but I'm working on it as much as I can.

Also a heads up for anyone that may be interested, I'm working on a collab story with Santa socks, another Naruto x RWBY. This time it won't be Naruto that's visiting though ;)... It will be going up alongside Deafening Silence whenever I finish this fic.

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 **Reviews**

 _Ages -_ Yes I know Ruby is 15 and the others are 17, just had a bit of a lapse in memory when I first wrote that in the chapter 1 AN. It was pointed out then, so I have been writing as though they were the correct ages since then.

 _Plot Progression? -_ I said this in the first chapter, but I am not following RWBY'S plot. I will probably be changing that and have certain key events be a part of the story ie. Vytal Festival, Cinder, Fall of Beacon. Salem? honestly I thought this story would be finished by chapter 15 ish when I started writing it. Now it seems to be edging closer to 30. (I shiver at the thought of so many words) Even I'm not sure how long this will be now, but I guess we'll see how things work out in the next few chapters before we get to the first big event, the dance. I started writing this with the intention that Volume 1 was over and Volume two had yet to begin.

 _Diaspared -_ You're right that's a totally fair question. Maybe I never saw it when I read the review. If that's the case, then I apologize for a mistake on my part. Honestly though, most OOC characters seen to stem from a broad category in terms of how. "Insane Naruto" had something break him as a child. "Dark Naruto" always wore a "mask' or was, again, broken as a child. I like to think that my Naruto just had war get to him. I seriously doubt anyone could stay as happy as he was after witnessing his comrades and friends die in front of him. Couple that with the fact that he lost in the war and now he just doesn't know what to do, so he's making the best of it by helping Ozpin in Remnant.

 _Ultimatrix bearer -_ It's dude :) I went and read your last review, but you didn't seem overreacty. You're all good dude/dudette XD

 _Guest -_ Always hate to see a reader go, but hey, no hard feelings. Not every story is for everyone so I hope you find a better one out there (shouldn't be too hard T-T). Have fun :)

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 **Chapter 10: Fixed**

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Ozpin waited until the two finished giving their report before speaking his mind.

"The White Fang are planning an attack?" The information, if correct, was highly disturbing. While the group had certainly become more violent in the last few months, he hadn't expected this.

"That's what the man said." Naruto nodded. "I don't know how much of that is credible, but I believe we should at least be prepared in case they do attack."

"Of course." Ozpin agreed. "Though it is still weeks away. We have time to prepare. For now we will continue like we have been. We don't want to startle them into attack early. I'll contact James about this. You are free to take a few days off." He gestured to to Naruto before turning to Qrow. "I expect you'll be back to your long term mission tomorrow." Qrow simply nodded. The pair left Ozpin soon after, letting the man stew in his thoughts.

They kept quiet as they walked down the halls of the school. More than a few people turned to stare at them. It wasn't everyday you saw fully fledged hunters in the school just wandering.

"I'll accompany you to Team RWBY's dorm room. I need to take care of some things afterwards."

"You seem close to Ruby." Qrow stated. "Why not stay?"

"Me and Miss Xiao Long are not on speaking terms right now." Qrow raised an eyebrow. So him and Yang got into a fight? Reaching the room, Naruto knocked. The door opened to reveal an over excited Ruby.

"Uncle Qrow!" Just like before, she latched herself onto his arm. Qrow smiled down at the girl as Weiss and Blake leaned from their seats to look at the arrival.

"Hey kid."

"Naruto, are you staying too?" Ruby asked.

"No, I only stopped by to say hello." He bowed his head. "I'm busy." Truth be told, he wasn't. He just didn't want to deal with Yang at the moment.

"Oh." Ruby seemed to deflate at his answer. "Well can we plan another day together for next weekend?"

"Unfortunately I will be busy for the foreseeable future." He turned to leave. "Have a good day Miss Rose." Naruto left in a swirl of leaves. Ruby sighed as she led Qrow into their dorm room.

"So what's the deal with him and Yang?" He could feel the tension in the air as he asked his question. The blonde girl was lying in her bed, not even turning to look at him. It was very unlike her.

"Yang read something of his." Ruby spoke. "It was a friends."

"That's it?" Qrow asked, not really believing that was the reason they could be angry at each other.

"He said that friend had died and he was entrusted with giving the journal to the man's family." Weiss explained. "He says he can't go home, so he can't return the journal."

Qrow nodded, taking in the information. "Can't say I blame him." The girls looked shocked at his conclusion. "I'd be angry too if one of my friends trusted me with something, only to have it ruined. Not being able to give it back probably makes him feel protective of it." Sitting on the edge of her bed, he looked over at Yang.

"Nothing you can do except apologize and hope he doesn't hold a grudge."

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Ruby closed the door to the dorm. Qrow had at least gotten Yang out of bed, even playing a game or two with her. At least she didn't seem to be moping anymore. She decided to let the two of them play together, opting for heading to the library. Like Weiss would say, she needed to do her homework. Funnily enough, the girl didn't want to accompany her, instead staying with the others and watching the two play games.

On her way there, she met Velvet. She was working on a project and was heading towards the library herself. Ruby suggested a study date and Velvet agreed. A friend of Naruto's was a friend of hers.

They found themselves in the quiet place not long after meeting. When they made their way to a table, Velvet noticed a familiar blonde lurking about.

"Naruto." She spoke, earning his attention. Naruto turned to see Velvet and Ruby sitting at a table. He smiled and walked over.

"It's good to see you Velvet." He said. He turned to Ruby. "Good to see you again Miss Rose."

"Ruby is fine Naruto." He nodded, taking a seat across the table from them. "What are you reading?"

"The history of Remnant." He tapped the book's cover. "I figured I catch up since I don't know anything outside of what happened in my village." She nodded, turning to her own work before Velvet spoke up.

"So what is your village like?" Ruby stopped writing, paying attention to Naruto's reaction.

"It depends on who you ask." He spoke cryptically. "I would say it was a happy place with many good people. I couldn't really say anything bad about it."

"It sounds nice." Velvet smiled. "I came from a small village outside of Vale. There were a lot of faunus that lived there, so I enjoyed playing with the many friends I had." Naruto lowered his book slightly. "Coming to Beacon was hard since many people still don't like faunus, but I have my team and a few others to depend on, so I can't complain."

"Where is your village located?" He asked.

"East of Beacon, two days travel for a civilian. Why do you ask?"

"I was just there." She looked surprised as did Ruby. "It seems like a nice place."

"Really?" He simply nodded, returning to his book. "Why were you there?"

"I'm not at liberty to say." She seemed to deflate at his lack of a response. The three continued to work in read in the moment of silence before Ruby broke it.

"Naruto is your scroll broken?" He shook his head. "Oh okay."

"Why do you wish to know?"

"I've been trying to get a hold of you since two days ago but you haven't answered." She spoke timidly. Naruto reached into his pouch and booted up his scroll. Indeed she had. He had nearly a hundred messages from her and Blake, even one from Weiss it appeared. She must have gotten his scroll information from one of the other girls.

"My apologies. I was on a mission with Qrow and didn't want any distractions. I never turned it back on." He flicked through them, reading them one by one.

 _Hey Naruto, just wondering if you're busy_

 _I know Yang didn't mean to do what she did. Message me back when you get this_

 _Are you okay? You aren't responding to my messages_

 _Are you mad at me too? I'm sorry if I did something wrong. Let me know if you get this_

They all basically said the same thing. Wondering where he was at, apologizing, or simply asking if he was okay. It was strange to have so many people looking out for his wellbeing outside of a mission. He looked up at the short girl who was bent over her work. She seemed flushed.

"Are you okay Ruby?" She looked up at him. "You're very red. Are you feeling well?" She smiled and laughed weakly.

"Yes I'm fine." She quickly turned back to her work, ignoring the looks from both Naruto and Velvet.

"Hey Naruto." Velvet got his attention. "Would you mind leaving for a moment? I want to talk to Ruby alone." Naruto nodded, standing from his seat and walking across the large room. Velvet turned to the girl with a large smile.

"You like Naruto." Ruby sputtered.

"N-No I don't! That time in class was a joke-"

"Nu uh." Velvet stopped her. "I can tell. You like him." Ruby tried her best to deny the faunus girl, but in the end she gave up.

"So what if I do?" She huffed, crossing her arms.

"I think it's cute." Velvet giggled as Ruby's face turned even more red. "You know, I can find out if he likes you too." Ruby glanced at her.

"How?"

"I can always just ask him when you aren't around." She said pointedly. "Or I could be really subtle about it and let him say it himself. I'll figure it out either way." She smiled, patting the shorter girl's shoulder. Unbeknownst to them, a black haired girl had entered the library in time to hear the conversation. Her ears twitched as she grew nervous. Her plans had to be altered if Ruby was trying to find out if Naruto liked her.

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The blonde had left the library a few minutes ago, seeing as the pair weren't going to stop talking for a while. Be that as it is, he preferred reading in the quiet anyways. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy their company, but sometimes complete silence was nice. Unfortunately his quiet time was broken by yet another girl.

"Naruto." He turned, seeing Blake standing behind him.

"Yes Blake?"

"Are you busy?"

"Not particularly." Blake nodded slowly, almost seeming to think about what she should say next.

"Do you want to come by the room? I'm sure Weiss and Yang want to see you." Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure you already know about mine and Miss Xiao Long's situation. I really don't know Weiss that well, so I really can't see why she would be eager to see me."

"Well, you haven't been around the past two days, so I thought we could all spend some time together."

"Thank you, but I'll pass. I wanted to speak with Qrow about a few things anyways." He began to leave when Blake stopped him.

"He's actually still in the room." Naruto sighed.

"Alright. I'll come with you." He reluctantly followed Blake back to her room, thinking of ways to get Qrow away from them so he could speak in private. Not only because of Yang, he didn't want to deal with that just yet, but he was sure that a fully fledged hunter probably couldn't open up about certain things in front of students.

They arrived quickly, Blake leading them into the room. Weiss looked up and gave a small wave. Naruto nodded in return, turning to look at the pair facing away from him. They seemed to be holding small rectangular objects attached to a large scroll screen. There were people on the screen fighting each other, bars in the top corners slowly dwindling as each character took a hit.

"I win again." Qrow stated proudly as Yang slumped forward. One of the characters was cheering in victory as the other lay unconscious on the ground.

"Best nine out of seventeen?" She asked hopefully.

"Sorry kid, but I need to be heading out soon anyways." He stood up, turning to see Blake had returned with Naruto. "You decided to drop by after all." Yang turned to see who had come, but immediately froze when she saw Naruto.

"I needed to speak with you and Blake mentioned that you were still here." He said. "I was hoping you'd answer a few questions I have."

"Depends on the questions." He shrugged. "How about I prepare myself for interrogation while you play a game or two with Yang. I'm sure she could use an easy opponent after I kicked her butt for the past hour." Naruto flicked his eyes over to the still frozen girl before looking back at Qrow.

"How much time do you need?"

"As long as it takes." He spoke before leaving. The remaining four sat and stood quietly until Blake broke the silence.

"I should get back to the library."

"I'll go with you." Weiss quickly interjected. "I need to do some research for a project." The two then made their way from the room, leaving the two blondes alone.

Naruto sat down next to Yang as the girl shrunk from his presence. He looked down at the object before turning to the girl.

"How is this done?" She was broken out of her trance as she stared down at his controller.

"What?"

"How does this thing work." He stated simply. "I've never seen something like this."

"You uh… You use the buttons to punch and kick and the stick moves your character." She pointed to her own controller. "A is for punches, B is for kicks. Pushing up makes your character jump, pushing down makes them crouch, left and right move them left and right.

"So the characters fight each other?" She nodded weakly. "Okay. Which one is mine?" She tapped a few buttons on her controller bringing up a new screen. There were several portraits of people.

"You can pick whichever one you want. Each one is good and bad in their own way, so they are all pretty balanced." She moved over to select her own character. Naruto flicked over each one, analysing their body type and armor, or lack thereof, before settling on a slim man with shin and arm guards.

"Now what?"

"When I press start, we can fight. The person who loses all of their health first loses." He nodded, gripping the controller tightly.

The match began.

Naruto was horribly unimpressed with how his fighter behaved. He made no use of his guards to block attacks, and when he punched the girl in the stomach, she didn't even seemed fazed. In the end he lost, though not without delivering a few punches himself.

"This is unrealistic." He said. "A punch to the gut would stun nearly anyone, even if they expected it. Your character has no armor and therefore should be taking more damage than mine was, assuming our strengths are nearly the same as you said."

"It's supposed to be unrealistic." Yang spoke as she stared at her controller. "It's a game."

"Fine, let's go again." He grabbed his controller. Yang took them back to the character screen, she picking the same one while Naruto picked a bulkier character.

Naruto lost again. That didn't deter him though. He asked for several rematches, trying to figure out how the characters moved and which one would be the most effective, but they all seemed random.

"Tactical maneuvers should be more effective against brute strength." She spoke as their most recent match ended. "You're character uses nothing but strength and willpower to overcome my own." He glanced at her. "Much like yourself actually." She froze again, realizing that they were no longer talking about the game.

"That's me." She laughed weakly. "All brawn, no brain." She turned the system off, returning to her sitting position next to Naruto.

"I never said that." She seemed surprised by his remark. "You don't use your mind as much as you should, but you are not reckless. Not that I have seen anyhow."

"I'm sorry!" She blurted out. Naruto turned to look at her as she lowered her head even further. "I know what I did was wrong and I'm sorry. I shouldn't snoop through people's things. I can't really make up for it, but don't stop seeing Ruby, Weiss, and Blake even if you're mad at me. They didn't do anything wrong."

"You know." Naruto started. "I overreacted when I caught you with the journal. I'm sorry for yelling at you the way I did." She smiled lightly and nodded. "I'm still angry about it, I will be for a while." Her smile faded. "However, I have put aside past betrayals that went far beyond a simple journal reading."

"So…" Yang twisted her hands together nervously. "... We're cool?"

"I am most definitely cool." She laughed at him, earning a small smile in return. He stood, turning to leave. He was stopped when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his chest. Looking over his shoulder, he saw a mass of blonde hair pressed against his back.

"Thanks." Yang whispered.

"No need to thank me." Naruto spoke. "Just ask next time." She let go with a nod of her head. Naruto opened the door, exiting the room and finding Qrow waiting for him.

"You finished?"

"Were you waiting out here the whole time?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, I didn't think it would take too long."

"Well you were right." Naruto said calmly. "Now can we talk?"

"Yeah. Let's see Ozpin, I'm sure he'll be interested in what you want to know." Naruto followed as Qrow led him to the headmaster's office.

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"You wished to speak with me?" Ozpin asked as the two hunters entered his office.

"I had some questions regarding hunters and Qrow thought it best to bring me here. He said you would be interested in what I had to ask."

"Perhaps." He sipped from his coffee mug before leaning forward in his seat. "What do you wish to know?"

"Killing seems to be little problem for the older generation, at least the ones that I have met. You showed no problems with my past and I have witnessed Qrow kill already. Is it something that is normal for a hunter?"

"Not exactly normal." Ozpin stated. "Though you should be prepared for anything. Ever since the White Fang have become more aggressive, the number of people a hunter has been forced to kill has gone up. It shouldn't be your first response, but if it necessary, then that's all you can do." Naruto nodded, happy with the answer.

"This White Fang. It seems as though they have been causing a problem for a while. The way you talk about them points to it. Why has no action been taken against them? As far as I know, there seems to be more hunters than White Fang members, and most of their members are hunter trained, if trained at all. You could easily force them to disband or erase them if need be." Ozpin glanced over to Qrow before speaking.

"The White Fang wasn't always so aggressive. They stood as a group to protect the rights of faunus, holding protests and meeting with higher ups like school headmasters and council members. Even if we could disband them, they would only reform under the notion that we are trying to stop them from protecting faunus rights. Most still see them as a group working towards equality, even if their methods have become more extreme."

"I see." Qrow interrupted the two.

"What would you do?" He asked Naruto.

"Gather as many willing and able bodied hunters as possible, as a show of strength, and give the White Fang a choice. Stop their extremist tendencies, or there will be consequences. If they chose to fight, the students at the academies would need to be trained to deal with killing. Either by forcing them to kill a captured prisoner that would be put to death, or forcing them to watch someone else kill. Once they adjusted, they would be able to join and fight against the White Fang."

While… unconventional, Ozpin noted that the idea had merit. It would either start a war, or bring about peace, but in either case, the White Fang would be forced to stop their current ways. He had no trouble believing that there were far more experienced hunters of high quality than highly trained members of the White Fang, and believed they could most likely win if it came to war.

His only problem was exposing the students to death like Naruto suggested. Seeing death was hard enough, but having your first experience to be to take the life of another?

"I can see why you would do that, but I would refuse to put any of my students through such an act." Naruto nodded in agreement with his assessment.

"I understand. I was raised where death was a daily occurrence and never really unexpected. I saw my first death at twelve and had my first kill at fifteen. It may seem harsh, but the results are effective."

"It sounds like you grew up as a pawn for people." Qrow spoke up, leaning back in his chair.

"I did." Qrow turned his gaze to Naruto. "I grew up to serve my village. Every day I had a mission, I would work to come home to serve another day. I did what I was told without question. If I was ordered to assassinate a high ranking official, I did. If I was asked to burn a village full of innocents to the ground, I would. My village would never consider innocents as expendable, so thankfully I've never had to do something like that."

Qrow watched him closely as the blonde told his story. He didn't know where it was he came from, but he was sure he wouldn't like to visit it anytime soon.

"Be that as it may, we aren't as militaristic as your home was." Ozpin explained. "If it came to that, I would step down as headmaster. My students well being, physically, mentally, and emotionally, is my first priority. I couldn't run a school that supported that way of life." Naruto smiled at the man.

"You wouldn't last a week in my village then." The man truly did care for his students. He reminded him of the old man in a way, looking out for everyone in his charge like they were his children.

"I imagine not." Ozpin spoke.

"Just one more thing. I have noticed that Grimm are what the hunters are supposed to being trained to fight against, but I rarely see anyone leave the school for training. Why not have them train against actual Grimm instead of each other?"

Ozpin's lip twitched at his assessment. "It seems as though I am promoting militaristic actions." He sipped from his mug. He knew that they were mostly trained to fight against Grimm, but human opponents were much harder to deal with, so Grimm should be easy compared to a human. If they learned how to fight humans at the same time… Well, that was one less thing he had to worry about when they graduated.

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 _Coming Soon - Chapter 11: Disaster_

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	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I do not own RWBY**

 **AN:** Hey peeps. These next few chapters are kind of in an awkward point. I need to get from point A to point B, but I can't just skip what happens in between, but there is also not much other than relationship building happening. After Chapter 13 or 14 is posted, everything should be good until the end where I need to figure out exactly how to wrap it up. I know how it will end I just need to get to that point.

Yes the chapter name did change, I edited it in the last chapter too. My idea went down a weird path so I scrapped it.

Next, just how in the heck did this get 200 reviews in only 10 chapters!? I bet it's some kind of witchcraft from FFN. Anyways, thanks for the support and enjoy this chapter.

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 **Reviews**

 _jack hopper -_ I actually totally forgot to respond to this one last chapter -_-' my bad. I'll try and include the aura shielding more in later chapters, didn't really even think about it honestly.

 _Ultimatrix bearer -_ Not too bad. Not much else I have to say really XD

 _General Zod -_ PTSD is going to come up later actually. As for ANBU armor, I normally would change him out of his horrid jumpsuit, but I don't mind his Boruto outfit that much. He will get a minor upgrade later on, but you'll have to wait for that.

 _Diaspared -_ I think I could always include it as a flashback later on. Naruto thinking back to the fight and all that made him think about how he got to Remnant in the first place. If it won't fit in, it will definitely be included in a rewrite.

 _Seta -_ You were the 200th review, but there wasn't a question in that review. If you want to know something about the story, as long as it won't spoil endings or such, just PM me and I'll to my beat to answer it :)

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 **Chapter 11: Disaster**

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Naruto and Qrow left the office not long after the conversation with Ozpin ended, them both walking to Team RWBY's dorm just as they had earlier. Qrow, while he didn't look it, was slightly bothered by something.

"Was everything you said back there true?" He asked curiously as he turned to look at the blonde. Only receiving a mute nod in response, he spoke up again. "Who did you see die?" Naruto glanced in the man's direction before turning back to face forward.

"A potential friend of mine, Haku."

"How did that make you feel?" Naruto huffed softly.

"Since when are hunters therapists as well?"

"Just curious." Qrow fell silent as the pair continued on. It wasn't too long before Naruto spoke again.

"I felt angry and sad." Qrow flicked his eyes over to the blonde. "Angry because he threw his life away for someone that seemed to not care for him. Sad for not being able to stop him from doing it."

"Rough." It wasn't sarcasm, nor was it condescension that Naruto heard. Instead, it sounded like understanding. Maybe Qrow had lost a few people in his life too, someone close perhaps.

"Uncle Qrow." The two heard the blonde girl behind them speak. They turned around to face her.

"Hey kid."

"Yang." They responded.

"Ruby asked me to come find you. She wanted you to spend some more time with her before you left." She looked slightly embarrassed to be put on fetching duty.

"I was heading back right now." He turned to the man beside him. "See you later Naruto."

"Naruto can come too." Yang interrupted. Naruto smiled briefly and bowed his head.

"Thanks Yang. I can't stay long though, I have training to do tonight." She nodded and walked with the two back to the room.

As they approached the door to the room, the trio could hear yelling from inside. Yang just rolled her eyes and shook her head before opening it. Ruby was throwing pillows like bullets at the cat faunus, her face flushed red. Blake just smirked and ridged most of the soft projectiles, occasionally throwing one back. Weiss did her best to ignore the two, writing in what looked like a journal.

The three looked on with varying degrees of amusement and confusion, watching until the others noticed they were standing in the doorway.

"I told you, I don't like him!" Ruby yelled, throwing yet another pillow.

"I never said you did Ruby." Blake smirked, dodging another throw. "I only mentioned that you blushed when we brought him up."

"I know what you meant!' Ruby screeched, launching one of her textbooks this time. She huffed as the book slammed against the wall.

"Well as fun as this is…" Yang interrupted the pair. They glanced over at the blonde, only to look embarrassed that her two companions had witnessed them like that. "...Uncle Qrow and Naruto are going to be hanging around for a bit." The others accepted it with little hesitation.

"Sorry about that." Ruby spoke timidly.

"It's fine." Naruto smiled. Honestly, it was nice to see some friendly banter after going so long without it. He could only assume it was friendly since the two weren't ignoring each other, even if Ruby looked a little upset.

"So…" Ruby drawled out, kicking her legs over the edge of her bed as Qrow took a seat next to Yang, listening to whatever story the girl thought to tell at the time. "... How long are you staying?"

"I have training in a short while unfortunately. I'll have to leave then." Ruby nodded slowly, looking over at Blake. The faunus raised an eyebrow at her.

"Do you want to do something… after class tomorrow… maybe… if you want to?" She managed to speak in short bursts. The black haired girl's eyes widened slightly from behind her book, but she kept quiet.

"Like what?" Naruto asked in all honesty. He didn't know much of anything in Vale, except that small bakery's location. He didn't really have any money to do anything either. Speaking of, he did just complete another mission, maybe he could get Ozpin to give him his payment tomorrow morning.

"I-I don't know." Yang turned to look up at her sister. Ruby never acted like that unless she was nervous. Why would she be nervous… around… Naruto… Her confessions to liking someone came full circle as she almost fell out of her bed. Ruby liked Naruto!?

"I'm not exactly familiar with the area yet, so the only thing I could plan would be training." He chuckled as the girls shivered at the thought.

"I'll think of something." Ruby said confidently. She would… eventually. Weiss just rolled her eyes at the hopeless girl. She tried, so she'd give her credit there.

"Naruto." The white haired girl spoke up. "Can I talk to you in private for a moment?" The blonde nodded, letting Weiss lead him from the room. The moment the door closed, Ruby jumped off of her bed and crawled over to Yang.

"I don't know what to do!?" She whispered madly while shaking her sister's form. Qrow just watched with mild interest as Blake perked up her ears to better hear them. "Tell me what to do!"

"You like Naruto." Yang stated. The red headed girl sputtered for a moment before simply nodding. "Then just be yourself. If he doesn't like you for who you are, he doesn't deserve you." It was simple, yet powerful.

"You could have picked a worse guy." Qrow stated. The two stared at him, silently asking for an explanation. "He was on my mission with me. He's level headed, mostly, and isn't afraid to do anything necessary to protect someone."

"That doesn't answer my question though! What am I supposed to wear? Is formal too much? Is casual not enough? What do you do on a date?" Blake's ears flattened against her head. In anger or sadness, she wasn't exactly sure yet.

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Weiss crossed her arms, staring at the blonde like she was sizing him up. Naruto stood patiently, waiting for her to speak. It must have been important for her to want privacy from her trusted teammates.

"Did you know that Ruby has a crush on someone?" She asked him. Naruto shook his head.

"I did not. I don't see why you had to bring me outside to say that to me specifically. I'm sure the rest of you know as well."

"Yes, but I wanted to make sure you knew before you went out tomorrow." Naruto raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Why?" Weiss sighed at his obliviousness.

"Because… just because okay? She is a member of Team RWBY, so she is important to all of us. Don't do anything stupid while you're out with her."

"Okay." He really didn't know what else to say. Why was it so important to not mess up being out with them? Everyone makes mistake at some point, you just need to learn from it and keep on going.

"Good." Weiss nodded, apparently satisfied. "That's all I wanted to say." She turned around and marched back into the room, letting Naruto follow slowly. When he saw the other four, his thoughts became even more jumbled. Why was Ruby shaking Yang like a doll? Why was Yang just laughing at Ruby? Why did Qrow just watch with amusement? Why did Blake look mad at them? Qrow turned to look up at the blonde.

"Hey, I've been meaning to talk to you about something." He spoke, standing from the bed. The others quieted down as they watched the pair. "It's about time for me to get some sleep anyways."

"Alright." Naruto complied. "I can start training afterwards." He turned to the girls. "I will see you tomorrow." The four called out their goodbyes and goodnights to the two hunters as they left the room.

Weiss sighed quietly as the room got quiet. Lately they have been more active than ever, so it felt nice to have some time to relax. Of course, she had to be the one to find that Qrow had left behind his drinking canteen. She rolled he eyes and turned to Ruby.

"Ruby, your uncle left that here." She pointed to the small container on the floor. Ruby shot out of bed and grabbed it.

"I'll be back soon, they couldn't have gone too far."

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"What were you wanting to know?" Naruto asked after a short silence between the two. He was following Qrow to the front of the school.

"About the mission." Qrow glanced at him. "What exactly did you do during that interrogation?" Naruto steeled his expression. He didn't really feel like now was a great time to reveal what he did. Ozpin trusted Qrow though, with a lot if that long term mission was that important. If Ozpin did, so could he.

"If I show you, I can promise you won't like it."

"Show me?" Qrow smirked. "I asked to hear about it, not to be experimented on." Naruto shook his head softly.

"I can't just tell you. You wouldn't understand, nor would you believe me."

"Okay then, show me." Naruto shook his head yet again.

"Not here. I can't risk someone else seeing it." He pointed over to the west end of the school. "I train five miles out that way, I can show you there." Qrow just nodded and followed Naruto's swift pace out if the school.

Little did they know, another scythe wielder followed them. Uncle Qrow needed his canteen after all.

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Ruby followed, trying to catch up with the two as they exited the school. Speed was her thing, but they were moving like they running from a horde of giant Grimm. She didnt want to use her semblance in case they could sense her doing it. She wasn't exactly supposed to be leaving the school, especially for something like this, but Qrow needed his drink. Even if she didn't want to admit it, he probably cared more about the canteen than the weapon.

Coming to a stop behind a tree, she poked her head out, seeing the two had finally stopped and were merely standing across from one another. She began to step out from behind the tree when it hit her.

A wave of hate so strong she wanted to vomit.

She quickly ducked back behind the tree, peering out at the two. Qrow looked fine, but Naruto…

A red aura blared from his form, his eyes changing color and pupils turning to slits. His fingernails lengthened into more claw like appendages. Whisker marks became darker and more defined. All in all… He looked like an animal.

She held her breath as he hunched over, the aura morphing into something else. It stretched, pulling and morphing from behind him until two tails swung wildly behind him.

" **This is what Naruto did."** His voice was deep and archaic, sending a shiver down her spine. It wasn't natural coming from him.

"What do you mean?" Qrow asked. He had never seen anything like that before. Honestly, Naruto reminded him more of a Grimm than a human right now.

" **I am Kurama, the nine tailed fox. Ozpin has told you of me, yes?"**

"No he hasn't." Qrow rested a hand on his weapon. "What are you? I didn't know ghosts could make you look different." Naruto laughed. A deep, booming sound that made him take a step back.

" **I am no ghost human. I have lived in this body for the entirety of Naruto's life. I am beyond your comprehension. The closest thing I could relate to in your world would be a demon."** Qrow raised an eyebrow.

"You are a demon?"

" **I am not, though I have been considered such."**

"Where did Naruto go then?"

" **I was given permission to take over his body. Occasionally it is beneficial to have a demon on the loose."** Naruto cracked an inhumanely wide grin.

"You were the friend Naruto spoke of then."

" **Of course. What other friends does he have at this miserable place."** Naruto scoffed. " **I still think he should have left those four girls behind the moment he saw them. Living in the wild is much better than the human infested building he currently resides."**

Qrow began to speak when Naruto suddenly narrowed his eyes. The other hunter stopped, following the blonde's gaze to a nearby tree.

" **Come out unless you want me to rip your arms off. Don't think about running either."** To Qrow's surprise, a trembling Ruby walked slowly out from behind the tree.

"What are doing here?" He asked, walking up to the girl. "You shouldn't be outside of the school right now."

"I-I came to b-bring this t-to you." She held up a shaky hand, revealing his canteen. Qrow smiled and took it from her.

"Thanks kid, but next time, I'll just come back for it." He patted her shoulder. "Now head on back."

" **She will be doing no such thing."** Naruto growled. Ruby froze as the blonde walked up to her. Qrow placed his hand back in his weapon, ready to defend the girl.

" **Oh please."** The blonde waved his hand at Qrow. " **As if you could stop me, even if I were to attack her. I just want to talk."** He glared at the man, making it very clear he needed to leave.

Qrow looked down at the girl who gave a small nod. He began his walk back towards the school, albeit reluctantly. Naruto turned back to Ruby, smiling down at her.

She didn't like the smile. Naruto was always kind and polite in his smiles. This one seemed predatory and full of unrestrained glee at the way he was exerting dominance.

" **You were not supposed to know about me."** He leaned forward. " **What does that leave me to do about this situation?"** She was suddenly wishing Qrow would come back.

"I-I promise I won't tell anyone." Naruto laughed.

" **Really? A promise? Only a fool would take a pro-"** Naruto grunted, holding his head.

"Are you okay?" Regardless of who or what was currently talking to her, that was still Naruto's body and he was in there somewhere.

" **Dammit I'm not done talking!"** He yelled to on one. After a moment he sighed. " **Very well. You need to contain this though."** Right after he finished speaking, the vile aura was absorbed back into his body, his physical features returning to normal. After a few seconds of silence, he opened his eyes, looking down at Ruby.

"We need to talk."

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Naruto escorted the girl back to his dorm room. Now that he knew he couldn't be sure no one would be out in his training grounds anymore, his room was really the only place he would be comfortable talking about this. That or Ozpin's office.

"Naruto?" He raised a hand to silence her as he opened his door. He pushed her through, closing it behind him. He directed her to the bed, making her sit down before be left the room. She just sat still, slightly scared about what was going to happen. That was something no one was supposed to know about, maybe a big secret between him and Ozpin. If she stumbled across it, even by accident, there were going to be consequences.

Naruto returned, now holding a small book. Her eyes widened when she realized which one it was.

"Read." He opened the book, placing it in her hands. She looked up at him in confusion. "You'll understand why after you do. I don't like it anymore than you do." She just nodded, turning her head down to look at the page.

 _It was another peaceful day, I was hoping to get in some extra training before I had to deal with my Genin. Little bastards. I love them to death, but sometimes I wonder if this teaching position was meant as punishment._

 _Just after I got to the training grounds I heard the alarms. Then I felt the ground shake. It was as though a thunderstorm was occurring right below my very feet. I rushed to the gates to see what had happened, but I could see it before I ever got there._

 _Kyuubi was here._

 _I was put on a squad with several other Jounin, ordered to help organize the Genin to get the civilians to safety. It didn't help any._

 _The demon tore through our men like paper, setting fire to the entire village. Homes and people burned brightly, a sight I'm sure I won't forget. Our men attacked with everything we had, doing anything to hurt the demon, but nothing was working. Even our water jutsu just evaporated on contact with it._

 _Eventually the beast was defeated by the Fourth. He is a hero to us all. He gave his life to kill it, sending it back to wherever it came from._

 _Though we won, there was no celebration. Many lives were lost, family and friends alike. It was day that even the most hardened of us will remember. The day that Konoha fell, and hopefully, the day we grew stronger._

Ruby looked up from the page, Naruto pulling the book from her grasp.

"I read it. Kurama convinced me to, even if it were only to remember my old life and what had happened. I didn't realize that it had gone back that far until I read that page." Ruby just sat quietly, unsure of what to say. "I'm sure you have questions."

"Why did you make me read that?"

"The demon he spoke of is Kurama." Her eyes went wide at that. "He was never killed by the Fourth. He was sealed inside of my body the day I was born. I've lived with him my whole life. He has been my best friend and my worst enemy, made me a hero and made me a pariah, has given me hope and driven me to despair. I can't live without him and he can't live without me. Nevertheless, he is still called a demon. If people found out I have one inside of me, they will assume I am. Hardly anyone can understand the difference between the prisoner and it's jailer, always assuming the worst will happen or that I'm some kind of monster." Ruby sat stunned by what she was hearing.

"I can't make you not hate me if you choose to do that, just don't tell anyone else. The moment word gets out, things around here will get bad." His eyes hardened. "Whether or not I like it."

"What about my teammates?" She asked hesitantly. They would surely ask her questions about why she had been gone for so long and she couldn't lie.

"Tell no one." He repeated. "If I need to, I will step in and do something about it." She didn't like the sound of that. "Can I expect you to keep quiet?"

"Yes." She nodded furiously. After seeing Naruto mad once, she don't want to anger him again.

"Good." He nodded. The blonde walked to his front door, opening it for her. "I'd like to be alone for now please." She merely slid off of his bed, walking out if the door.

"Goodnight Naruto."

"Night Ruby." He closed the door. Ruby walked quietly back towards her dorm room. She had a lot to think about.

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When she arrived, she was immediately bombarded with the thing she didn't want at that time. Questions.

"Where have you been!?" Weiss asked furiously. "You've been gone for over an hour! We were about to go out and look for you." True to her word, the others were all geared up for battle, ready to leave.

"I was with Naruto." Yang grinned at the girl.

"Isn't it a little early in the relationship to be spending so much time alone with him?" Ruby flushed at the thought.

"It wasn't like that!" Yang just kept on smiling.

"If it wasn't like that, then what was it for?" Weiss demanded, tapping her foot.

"It… I can't say. I promised I wouldn't."

"Oh?" Yang butted in. "So it's a secret lovers kind if thing?"

"Yang!" Ruby launched herself at Yang, knocking them both to the floor. "I said it wasn't like that, I just can't say."

"Fine fine." Yang held her hands up. "Whatever you say." She winked at Ruby as the the girl groaned, moving off of her sister.

"Just stop by and let us know next time." Weiss spoke, heading to the bathroom to change back into her nightwear.

"I will." Ruby answered. She turned to face the other set if bunk beds, only to find a glaring Blake quickly turn away. She looked over in concern. Did she do something wrong?

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 _Coming Soon - Chapter 12: Break_

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	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I do not own RWBY**

 **AN:** Glad most of you seem happy with the last chapter. I tried uploading this earlier today, but FFN wouldn't let me T-T. Not much else to say other than next chapter will begin some events that are… interesting, or so I hope. Enjoy.

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 **Reviews**

 _Kyuubi Mode -_ I made it red and the two tailed version because Qrow asked to see what he did and that was what he used. He's still reluctant to show every bit of his power he he doesn't have to.

 _Kurama -_ He is cool with Naruto, but he is not very fond of other humans. He may make threats of destroying every living being if Naruto dies, but he would most likely just go find a quiet corner of the world to live in. That's not to say he is docile. If someone provoked him, he would have no problem stepping on them like a bug.

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 **Chapter 12: Break**

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Naruto woke up. That wasn't exactly the problem though. He didn't wake up like normal, feeling refreshed or ready to begin training. He woke up feeling vulnerable.

" _ **Even if everyone found out, you could always just leave."**_

" _Ever helpful as always Kurama."_

" _ **It's true regardless. You can live in the wild like I told that man."**_ Naruto ignore the fox, favoring showering and getting dressed instead of an argument.

He was right though, he could always just leave. Ruby seemed to be trustworthy enough to hold onto that secret, but that didn't mean he was ready to just tell her. There was always the chance that she would react negatively. Lucky for him, she didn't seem to react at all.

After his shower, he heard the somewhat familiar buzz of his scroll. He opened it to see a new message.

 _Can we talk?_

He raised an eyebrow at the message, wondering why she was interested in talking. It wasn't that they didn't know each other, or he disliked her, but she had been quiet for a while.

 _Sure. Should I come over now?_

He set the scroll down to get dressed. Once he finished, he picked it up again.

 _Actually I was hoping to come over to your place. I don't want to talk in front of my team._

Yet again he was confused by her.

 _Okay. Now is fine if you're okay with that._

He received a message back almost immediately.

 _I'll be there in a minute._

He nodded, setting his scroll down. He settled into one of the chairs he had, idly messing with a kunai in his wait. As she said, it really only took a minute for her to get there. After he heard the knocking, he called out for her to come in.

Blake opened the door, closing it behind her and making her way to the table. She sat down opposite of Naruto silently. They sat together for a few minutes, each waiting for the other to speak. Naruto finally broke the silence.

"You wanted to talk?"

"Yes." She answered. "It's about… the last problem I had."

"Oh?" Naruto looked up at her. "Did you figure it out?"

"I think so…" Naruto smiled. "... but I don't know how to tell him. Like I said before, I'm not the best at being social."

"Your best bet would be to just tell him. Tell him you needed to say it and whatever happens, you are okay with that. You can't really force anything to happen. If he knows, then he will at least try and think about you in the same way." Naruto chuckled. "Us guys can be kind of dense if you don't just come out and say what you mean." She didn't know it, but he was thinking back to Hinata's confession. He really was dense about her feelings.

"Alright… but what if he rejects me?" Naruto just smiled.

"Then it wasn't meant to be. Move on and hope you can find someone else." She nodded. "Also, let him have time to process what you say. You might give him a shock, so don't expect an immediate answer."

"Naruto." Blake stood from her seat. "I like you." Naruto's smile slipped from his face, settling into a more neutral position. "You are really nice and you don't hate me for being a faunus. You helped me when I had a problem and I get jealous when you are around other people."

"Blake-"

"Now I am supposed to give you time." Blake cut him off, her face flushed. "I'm not the only one that likes you, so I had to tell you now. Even if you don't pick me, I still want to be friends." She turned around and walked to the door, leaving Naruto staring at the space she just occupied.

Blake? Sure she was nice and, admittedly, pretty, but did he, could he, even want a girlfriend? He still really hadn't even thought on Hinata's feelings towards him. Just pushing them away wasn't something he could do, even if he would never see her again.

He needed to think.

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Blake's mind was racing. Why did she tell him? What if he said no? What if he said yes? What would the others say when they found out what she did? What would Ruby do?

"Blake!" She shook her head, turning to face the voice. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts she didn't even realize she made it back to the dorm.

"Yes Yang?"

"Finally." Yang rolled her eyes. "I thought you were a zombie for a second there. Where did you go this early?" Blake thought about lying. Going to Naruto's this early could raise suspicion in the blonde, but she decided against it, hoping she wouldn't ask too many questions.

"I went to talk with Naruto." Yang raised an eyebrow.

"What about?" Dammit.

"A… problem I had."

"What problem? I don't remember you having a… Is this about the White Fang again? You told us you'd say something so we could do that as a team." Blake raised her hands defensively.

"Nothing like that." Yang's glare lessened as she moved to lay back in her bed.

"Okay, then what was the problem?"

"It was nothing. Just something I had to clear up with him." Yang sighed.

"I'm your partner you know. You should be able to talk to me about stuff like this." She wasn't to sure about that. Yang may not like the fact that she just basically tried to get with Naruto before Ruby could.

"I know." Weiss stirred in her bed, causing the two to look over at her waking form.

"Morning snow angel." Yang smiled. Weiss groaned, flopping back into the bed. Yang turned back to Blake. "So what was it then?"

"I'd rather not say." Weiss turned over to look at the pair.

"This isn't about the White Fang is it?" Blake shook her head.

"It's about Naruto." Yang told her. They heard a clunk from above Weiss, a sleepy Ruby poking her head out.

"Naruto's here?" Yang burst out laughing.

"Seriously? You aren't already dreaming about him are you?" Ruby's faced flushed as she pulled back, making Yang laugh even harder.

"So what's this problem then?" Weiss yawned.

"I said I didn't want to talk about it." Especially now that Ruby was awake. She didn't want to break the girl's heart.

"Why not?"

"It's personal." Ruby poked her head back out, still with a small tinge of scarlet of her cheeks.

"If you talk about it, it might make you feel better." Ruby spoke. "It always helps me."

"I can't." Blake was screaming on the inside. This wasn't going to end well. "Shouldn't we get ready for classes now?"

"We got time." Yang waved dismissively. "It's still early."

"Well we should get ready early then." Blake said, heading for the bathroom.

"Come on." Yang drawled out, flopping onto her bed. "Is it something really bad?" Blake ignored her, closing the door on her teammates.

"Maybe she's having a faunus problem?" Ruby suggested.

"You mean like she's in heat?" Yang asked. Weiss just shook her head at the blonde.

"Really? I seriously doubt that faunus go into… that… like animals. Even if she did, she wouldn't hide that from us. If anything she'd want us to help her keep away from guys during that time."

Yang just shrugged. Something was bothering Blake and she intended to find out what. For her friend and partner.

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Even here he was oblivious to girls it seemed. Blake threw that bomb in his face, leaving him just sitting in his room. He was certainly confused by the confession. He wasn't sure if he could accept her feelings, nor was he certain he could actually return them.

Then there was her team. How would they react to that? Would they approve? Would they be against them? While they couldn't really stop him from dating Blake, they could easily just ignore her. She said she didn't have any friends before coming to Beacon and he wouldn't be responsible for taking them away. That really only left him with one choice.

Tell her how he felt.

It seemed obvious that's what he should do, but it was harder than it sounded. He never had to deal with romantic acceptance and rejection before, so approaching the topic was certainly difficult.

After classes were over for the day, he'd talk to her about it. For now, he needed to get some training in.

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"I am surprised to see you here." Glynda spoke as Naruto entered the classroom. A few students waved at him as he passed their seats.

"I thought I'd stop by for today. I don't know when I'll be able to do this again since I'll be starting more missions in a few days." Glynda just nodded.

"Very well. I'm sure the students will appreciate it." Naruto turned to look at the class. He noticed Blake was avoiding his gaze.

"I'll fight today." He said calmly.

"Very well." Glynda flicked through her scroll. "Blake Belladonna, you are first today." She simply nodded, walking down to the arena. She took a defensive stance after drawing her weapon. Naruto flipped open his pouch, drawing a kunai and lowering his stance.

"Begin." Blake held her position, eyeing Naruto's form.

To everyone's surprise, Naruto made the first move. He ran up to her, thrusting a fist towards her gut. Blake dodged by sidestepping, swinging her blade down at his side. Naruto quickly spun, avoiding the slash and ending up behind her. He raised his kunai to block the continued swing from her blade, a clang echoing across the room.

Naruto pushed against her blade, sending her stumbling back a few feet. Once she gained her footing, she dashed back at him. A short thrust to his stomach was countered by the kunai. She turned, bringing the blade down on his head only for him to vanish and appear across the arena.

She transformed her weapon, taking aim as she shot at him. He flickered, disappearing from sight. Blake pulled her arm back, throwing her weapon towards the ceiling, holding onto the ribbon attached to it. More than a few eyebrows went up until the blonde dropped from his hiding spot. He smiled as he landed.

"You knew where I was."

"I remembered you hiding there during your fight with Yang." She took aim again, firing shot after shot at the blonde. Naruto weaved himself across the arena, dodging every shot.

Blake threw her weapon, aimed straight for his chest. He flicked it away with his kunai, only for it to come back full circle to almost hit him in the side of the head.

He backed up as Blake's movements created a sort of bubble around herself, her weapon whirling around dangerously. He threw his kunai directly at her stomach. It sailed through her protective bubble, nailing her in the stomach. She dropped her weapon in surprise she grasped her stomach in pain and from losing her breath.

The blonde was at her side in a heartbeat, holding another kunai against her temple.

"I… forfeit…" Blake managed to gasp out. Glynda nodded, calling the match in Naruto's favor. With a little help from him, Blake made it back to her teammates.

"You did good." Yang gave her a thumbs up.

"Yeah, even if Naruto kicked your butt." Blake sent a non threatening glare at Ruby who just chuckled.

"Next up is…" The four tuned out Glynda and Blake caught her breath. The other fights weren't nearly as interesting as Blake's.

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The rest of class had gone by as normal, Naruto stomping the students into the ground. They may have a few bruises, but they'd be better off in the long run with the experience.

Yang, of course, kept asking Blake about her apparent problem all throughout class. While she ignored her for the most part, she kept getting strange glances from Naruto between match's, like he could hear Yang and wanted to see if she'd say anything. Only after she got her answer. Once he said yes or no, the others would get to know.

When class finally did let out, Team RWBY found themselves waiting for Naruto.

"You all waited for me?" Naruto asked.

"Of course." Ruby proudly stated. "Besides." She began to look nervous. "Aren't we going out somewhere now?"

"That's right. Have you all picked out a place yet?" The other three gave Naruto a weird look while Ruby deflated a bit. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No…" Yang spoke. "... but it was only you and Ruby going out." Naruto looked down to the girl for conformation and received a small nod.

"My bad. I thought we all were going out together."

"Do… do you not want to go anymore?" Ruby asked, downcast.

"I'm happy to go with you." He smiled. Ruby seemed to brighten at that, ready to leave immediately. "First I need to speak with Blake." He turned on the girl. The other three left them alone, looking back over their shoulders at them.

"Blake."

"Naruto." She stood still, waiting to hear his response.

"I really don't know what to say." That surprised her. He always seemed very decisive, planning dozens of steps in advance for everything he did. "I can't really say yes, but I can't really say no either."

"What do you mean?" Naruto sighed.

"Let's just see where things go. Maybe something will come of it, maybe it won't be anything. I can't commit to anything with anyone unless I'm sure that's what I want." She understood. More or less.

"So where does that leave us right now?"

"Friends." He said. "We will always be friends." She smiled weakly. At least she still had that if this didn't work.

"Okay." Naruto nodded.

"Alright. I need to go catch up with Ruby. I'll talk to you later, okay?" She nodded, watching him walk off towards the front of the school. She still had a chance.

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"Naruto!" Ruby called out, waving her hand wildly from the fountain. He stopped right in front of her. "Are you ready?"

"Yes. Where are we going first?" He asked the short girl.

"I was thinking about this cool stand I saw a few months ago." She exclaimed. "They have really good food."

"That sounds like a good place to start." Ruby began their walk towards Vale, a small bounce in her step as Naruto followed calmly.

"So…" Ruby started as they walked. "What kind of food do you like?"

"Ramen." He said, a small smile appearing on his face as he remembered a man and his daughter back in Konoha. "What about you?"

"Anything sweet, especially cookies." She smiled widely. "Cookies are the best." Naruto merely nodded in response. Ruby began humming a tune he hadn't heard before as they continued their journey.

"Hey Naruto?" Ruby asked. Naruto looked down at her. "Blake said she had a problem that she talked to you about, but she won't tell us." She remembered back to the conversation Yang and Weiss had with her before she left.

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 _Flashback: Not too long ago_

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"Do… do you not want to go anymore?" Ruby asked, downcast.

"I'm happy to go with you." He smiled. Ruby seemed to brighten at that, ready to leave immediately. "First I need to speak with Blake."

The three walked away, leaving the pair alone for a moment. Yang turned to Ruby when they were far enough from the others.

"Ask Naruto about Blake's problem." She said. "I'm worried about her. The only times she ever hid anything from is was when it had to do with the White Fang or her being a faunus. If she's really dealing with the White Fang again, we should be helping her like I told her before."

"As much as I don't like the idea of prying." Weiss started. "We should at least make sure it has nothing to do with the White Fang. All I care about is that she isn't doing anything dangerous by herself."

"I can do that." Ruby nodded. She was always ready to help a friend.

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 _Flashback: End_

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"Yes she had a problem, but it's fixed now, mostly." Naruto answered. "She probably didn't tell you because it was personal."

"So… she's not doing anything dangerous?"

"Nothing like that." She sighed in relief. At least Yang and Weiss would be happy with that.

"That's good."

"Why do you ask?" Naruto questioned her. "As huntresses, you will be putting your lives in danger every day. Her doing dangerous things now shouldn't be that big of a deal."

"The last time she did, she went up against some members of the White Fang. She could have been hurt really bad. We would have helped her if she would have told us." Ruby spoke.

"I see." Naruto replied. Ruby looked at him expectantly, but he kept quiet. The silence didn't last much longer as Naruto changed topics.

"Weiss tells me you have a crush on someone." He said. Ruby flushed, making a note to talk to Weiss later.

"Y-Yes." She mumbled nervously.

"If you like him, you should just tell him." Naruto explained. "The worst thing that can happen is he says no. If that's the case, then it wasn't meant to be." Ruby just nodded, not planning on telling Naruto any time soon. "You girls all seem to be having romantic problems it seems." Ruby looked up at him weirdly.

"What do you mean?"

"Blake was having issues with a guy as well." He stated simply.

"Blake likes someone?" She asked curiously. Blake wasn't exactly known for her people skills, so finding out she had a crush was shocking.

"Yes. I gave her the same advice I gave you. If you don't tell him, you'll never know if they feel the same way. She told him how she felt and I think she is better for it."

"Blake had a boyfriend now!?" She almost yelled. When did she, their leader, become so out of the loop."

"She doesn't have a boyfriend." Ruby just nodded. Well she wasn't that far out of the loop then.

"Do you know who she likes?" She asked.

"Yes." She waited for him to say who, but he never did.

"Can you tell me who?"

"Me." He said. "I'm not sure where it came from, but she did tell me she liked me. That's why I had to talk to her today before we left."

"Oh." Ruby deflated. Blake liked him too. That explained the weird look she got last night, but how was she supposed to compete with her? Blake was more… well everything…

"You seem disappointed." Naruto observed.

"No… I'm fine." She said sadly. "Let's hurry up. I'm hungry." Naruto agreed, chuckling as her stomach rumbled loudly. She flushed, walking ahead of him so he wouldn't see. All the while her mind wasn't on what was supposed to be a fun evening, but rather on her friend and teammate.

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Naruto wasn't sure why, but the news of Blake liking him made Ruby act… weird. She wasn't as happy or as bubbly as she normal was, instead just asking him where he wanted to go next and spending the time in silence. His few attempts to start a conversation were met with short responses.

Walking back was the same, Ruby seemingly ignoring him in favor of staring at the ground. At one point he even thought he heard her mumbling about something. Since when was he stupid? Did he really do something bad during their time out?

"Ruby." He stopped walking. They were almost at the school, so now would be the best time to say anything. She turned to look at him, only to see he had stopped following her. "I'm very sorry if I did anything to make you mad. I'm not exactly the best at things like this."

"What? No you didn't do anything wrong!" She cried out. Did he think it was his fault? "I had fun today."

"You didn't seem to enjoy it." He said. "You've been quiet since after we left."

"I… I'm just thinking. I'm sorry." Naruto closed the small gap that had come between them.

"No need to be sorry for thinking." Ruby just nodded. "What were you thinking about? You must gave been pretty distracted to be quiet nearly the whole time."

"Just… things." He nodded, like the word summed up exactly what he was thinking.

"It's okay. You know, if you are having problems, you should talk to your teammates. They would be more than happy to help you." She sighed in response. "You can always talk to me as well." Ruby looked up at him, a small smile settling on her face.

"Thanks Naruto."

"No problem." He replied. "Just don't let whatever it is eat away at you." He pat her shoulder gently.

"Okay." They continued walking, Ruby now a bit happier. She could still tell him.

As they approached her dorm, that's what she told herself. She stopped, turning to look up at him. Naruto raised an eyebrow at her action.

"I like you." Ruby said. She turned around and marched away, feeling her confidence waning with each step as the realization of what she did set in.

Naruto just stood there, watching Ruby walk away. Why him?

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Ruby walked into the dorm room, a nervous smile on her face. The others looked at her expectantly.

"I told him I liked him." She said. Yang waited for her to continue as Weiss just nodded, satisfied with that. Blake looked down at her curiously.

"And?" Yang asked.

"I walked away before he could say anything." She said sheepishly. Yang just shook her head.

"Well you can ask him tomorrow if he comes to class." Yang sighed.

"I don't think I should." She mumbled as she made her way to her bed.

"Why not?" Weiss asked. "Don't you want to know if he feels the same?" Ruby nodded.

"I do, but I think he wouldn't pick me. Blake already told him the same thing." Ruby covered up as the other two turned to look at the faunus. Blake his behind her book as they started asking her questions. Why her?

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 _Coming Soon - Chapter 13: Good and Bad_

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	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I do not own Ruby**

 **AN:** I'm angry. I type all of my stories on Google Docs on mobile as I don't own a computer, and apparently something happened so I lost about 1k words just after the beginning of my writing, then last night I lost an entire part near the end. My apologies if it seems sloppy or rushed, but I was doing my best to remember how it went, and with the already later than normal release and me getting my new ocarina in on the 7th, I didn't want to postpone it any longer.

I have started posting updates again on my profile page, near the top. If you're interested in announcements, possible challenges, or story updates, you'll most likely find them there. I didn't mention this delay because I've been too busy trying to rewrite a decent chapter into something that might pass as readable. Insert sad face here.

"Beaconship . me" If you've never heard of it, it's a pretty cool website. You are given RWBY characters and you pick which one you like better, then you get a new pair. After a few minutes, they spit out a list of your favorite RWBY characters in order from best to worst. It isn't updated for Volume 4, and there are some seemingly random additions, but I still enjoyed it. 37 characters in total I believe? If anyone does do it, or is interested, I'll post my top ten next chapter, and I'd also be interested in hearing all of your favorite. I'm sure mine will surprise some of you, but that's also not taking into account Volume 4 characters. I know at least one of them would be in my top 5.

Gotta learn how to play Zelda's Lullaby on a double chamber now, so hopefully you enjoy the chapter while I cry about increased difficulty, both in my writing and it of it. Insert another sad face.

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 **Reviews**

 _Vld -_ When I first approached the story idea, I was planning on a Naruto x Weiss pairing, but I couldn't get a good feel for how I would have been able to write it. It's on the backburner if I ever decide to write another RWBY x Naruto fic after my collaboration.

 _Mediphious -_ First, loved the review. The early chapters did see a lot of Naruto and Blake action because I planned for them to be good friends at the very least. After this chapter, they grow closer as friends, kind of going back to how they were early on.

Yes, I suppose they may be getting too close to quick, but I promise that Naruto has thought this through, mostly, and they won't just suddenly be together. It will take many more months, maybe years, in the story before they are "serious".

The whole not compatible thing gets addressed somewhat in this chapter and will be fully addressed in the next. Hopefully I do a good job explaining it.

Thanks for the critique and I hope you continue reading :)

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 **Chapter 13: Good and Bad**

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"A dance?" Naruto asked. It had been a few day since he had seen team RWBY, having to go on mission that took him a not longer to complete than what he thought it would. He had only just finished reporting to Ozpin when he ran into Weiss.

"Yes. Even if you aren't a student, you are the technically a teacher of sorts so you are invited." She stated. "Will you be free?"

"Depends on if I have a mission or not." He answered.

"Well, should you choose to come, you will need formal wear." She said.

"Okay." He never really had done anything like go to a dance before. He might just skip out by taking a mission and say it was unavoidable.

"You know." She sighed quietly. "Ruby and Blake would like it if you came. I know for a fact that neither of them have a date for the dance."

"Maybe I'm wrong, but aren't you supposed to take just one person to the dance, not two?"

"Of course."

"Then how exactly did they expect that to work?" Weiss rolled her eyes at him.

"You were supposed to pick one of them. They have been awkward around each other for a few days now and have been waiting for you to ask them." Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"What if I didn't want to take either of them?" Weiss didn't seem to have a response to that. "If I go, I will go alone. I won't make anyone fight for a position at my side. If they both want to dance, that's fine, but I am not going to play favorites until I have my own feelings sorted out."

"That's fair." She admitted. "So you will be going?" Naruto just shrugged. "I'll tell them you might be busy." He nodded.

"That's fine." Weiss left, leaving him walking back to his room alone.

 _ **"You humans are strange creatures." Kurama muttered from his cage. "You are supposed to become the protectors of peace, yet you waste time that could be spent training on a ritualistic gathering to move violently to music."**_

 _"It's called having fun, not that you would know."_

 _ **"I do not have fun. Except when crushing your kind in between my toes."**_

 _"Yes I know."_ Naruto ignored the Fox's declarations and intimately disgusting story time about a village he once trampled as he opened his door.

Maybe a dance wouldn't be that bad. It may help to take his mind off of things for a bit. Before then, though, he needed to sort out his feelings about Hinata, Ruby, and Blake. He sighed as he lie back in his bed. At least he knew what he was doing today.

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Ruby stood with her team as they watched JNPR spar with each other. Tomorrow was the dance and she was nervous. Weiss said that Naruto might be busy, but she had seen him around the academy all week, even if they didn't really talk. Did he not want to go with her? Did he want to go with Blake? Did he want to go with someone else?

She turned to look at her faunus friend. She seemed calm and collected. Was she not worried about it as much? Maybe she already got a response from Naruto.

"Hey are you okay?" Yang asked her sister. "You don't look to good."

"I'm just nervous." She admitted. "I haven't heard from Naruto in a while."

"You'll be fine." She smiled, wrapping her arm around Ruby's shoulder. "Whatever happens, he'll still be your friend. He doesn't seem like the kind of person that would just stop talking to you because of something like that."

"If you say so…" She spoke in a worried tone. Maybe she should go and talk to him, if only to figure out if he was going to the dance or not. He should know if he was doing anything tomorrow by now.

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"What do you need Weiss?" Naruto asked as the girl stood at his door.

"Are you going or not." Blunt and to the point.

"Maybe." Weiss huffed.

"You know, Ruby and Blake have both started to act really weird now. I can't get any work done with them in the room. Are you or are you not going to the dance?"

"Maybe."

"You aren't going to give me a clear answer are you?"

"Maybe." Weiss growled at him before he let out a small chuckle. "You know it is very easy to mess with you."

"Don't."

"Ah, well that's no fun." He pouted. "I thought we were friends."

"That has nothing to do with you being annoying." She glared. "Just tell me if you are going."

"I told you, I might be busy. If I get a mission, that will be my priority. Ozpin just calls me in whenever I'm needed, so I have no idea when I have one until I get called. I planned on going out to get clothes for it in case."

"Can't you just ask for the day off?" Naruto gave her a look.

"Do you really think Hunters are allowed days off, barring injury? If I'm needed, and I'm able, I will take the mission. Just tell them I'm planning on going, but if I get a mission I'll have to leave."

"Fine." She sighed. "Are you going with anyone?"

"I already said I won't choose between two people and potentially hurt the feelings of the other. I'll be going alone."

"Very well." She said. "They'll be unhappy."

"Better sad than hurt." He shrugged. "That's how I see it." Weiss just nodded before turning to leave. She was hoping this would be the last time she'd play messenger girl. Naruto sighed.

"May as well go look for a suit now."

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Team RWBY's and JNPR's female members all sat in RWBY's dorm room, getting ready for the dance. A few hours to go. Ren and Jaune gave them their privacy, staying in their own dorm room.

"Who are you going with Pyrrha?" Weiss asked as Blake struggled into her outfit.

"No one asked me to go with them." She said sadly. The rest of the girls turned to look at her.

"No one?" Yang spoke, shocked. "But you're… well, you."

"It's fine." She smiled, waving off the obvious ache she was feeling. "I'll still have fun. Who are you going with Yang?" She was quick to change the subject.

"Little miss kitty cat." She smiled patting Blake's shoulder.

"I told you to stop calling me to that." Blake hissed.

"What about the rest of you?" Yang pointed. "No one's said anything much about their dates." No one spoke, Nora stared off into space dreamily. "So we're all going alone? Except for Nora." A sad sigh seemed to be the consensus.

Once Blake had finished, Ruby began changing into her dress. A knock resounded from their door, earning a raised brow from Yang. She went to crack open the door, surprised to see a familiar blonde standing there in a tux.

"Am I intruding?" He asked, Yang not usually one to hide behind anything.

"The girls are changing. You can wait with the boys across the hall." Naruto nodded as Yang closed the door swiftly. He could make out a flurry of whispers as he knocked on the other door. Just another thing about girls he didn't and wouldn't ever understand.

Another blonde answered this door.

"Oh, hey Naruto."

"I was forbidden from entering." He pointed across the hall. "Yang said I could wait here with you and Ren." Jaune opened the door fully to let him in.

"No problem. It might be a while though." Naruto just moved to lean against a wall. He didn't know whose beds were whose and he didn't want to appear rude.

"I'm fine with waiting." He turned to see Ren resting against his own headboard. "Are you going to live through the night?" He gave a small sigh.

"I hope so." Jaune laughed as he plopped down on his own bed.

"Nora can be a handful, that's for sure." The other two nodded in agreement. "She's got good intentions though."

"Who are you going with?" Naruto asked the other blonde.

"No one." He hung his head. "Weiss rejected my attempts to ask her." Naruto discreetly rolled his eyes. Jaune was as oblivious as he was when he was younger. Anyone with a set of eyes could see that Pyrrha liked him.

"Is Pyrrha going with anyone?" Naruto asked nonchalantly. Ren glanced slightly over in their direction.

"I don't know. I'm sure she had guys lining up to ask her."

"Well, if she doesn't have anyone to go with, why not go with her? Better to be together with a friend than alone." Ren cracked a small smile as Jaune pondered what Naruto said.

"That's a good idea. We can go together as friends." He smiled. Naruto shook his head at the blonde, returning to his resting position. "Why don't you go with one of the girls then? As a friend. Weiss mentioned you were going alone since you didn't know if you were going to make it."

"Sometimes… Being alone is the best course of action." He said. "I could have gone with someone, but that would have hurt someone else in turn. Hurt friends are something I never want to have again." He said it with such conviction. Jaune nodded along to his words. He wanted to protect his friends from harm too.

"Naruto, what is it like being a fully fledged hunter?" Ren was genuinely curious. He knew it would different from the academy, but how much so?

"It's dangerous. You always have a chance of dying, every mission a possible death sentence." He spoke. "As long as you grow stronger and fight to protect your loved ones, you'll live to see another day." Ren nodded, happy with the response.

A knock interrupted any further conversation. Jaune once again opened the door to see six girls standing and waiting. Yang gave a small smile and a thumbs up.

"We're ready."

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They approached the building on foot, entering it to find the dance already underway. An upbeat song was currently playing as a mass of students were dancing together in the center of the room. Weiss immediately steered clear of it. Yang, on the other hand, jumped in enthusiastically, dragging Blake with her. Nora pounces on poor Ren, following after Yang with his sleeve in her clenched hands.

"I'm going to get something to drink." Pyrrha announced, walking away from the group. Jaune just nodded as he looked back over at Weiss. He caught Naruto's eye, the blonde motioning in Pyrrha's direction.

"Uh, Pyrrha!" He called out, freezing her in place. "I'll, uh, come with you. We can get everyone drinks." He said with a smile. He didn't notice it, but Pyrrha beamed brightly as she walked next to her teammate.

"Hey Naruto?" Ruby asked, staring at the retreating pair. "Is something going on with them?"

"It's nothing too important." He waved it off. Pyrrha seemed reasonable, but even she wouldn't want every just poking around in her business.

"Huh." Ruby shrugged, turning to look at Naruto. She suddenly froze when she remembered that everyone had left, so they were alone now.

"Do you want to go and sit with Weiss? I don't know about you, but I don't want to stand all night if I have to dance." Ruby just nodded, following her blonde crush to wear Weiss was sitting.

"You look much better in this than your old outfit." Weiss noted as the pair sat down, Ruby opposite of Naruto from her as the man sat between them.

"I feel stiff."

"Then you're wearing it correctly." Weiss stated. Naruto rolled his eyes, instead turning slightly to look at the girl next to him. She seemed even more uneasy than before she admitted her feelings for him. He still didn't know what to tell her.

"By everything sacred, are you really this stupid?"

"What the hell do you want?"

"You have more power than anyone you have met in this filthy land. Simply take the two that wish to court you and make them your mates. If you can't leave, you should make your mark on this land and claim it for your future children."

Kurama did not just say what he thought he said. Naruto had to admit he did have point in that though. If he truly was stuck here forever as he had first thought, then what would happen when he eventually died? Would he just fade into their history as an anomaly that appeared one day?

"Naruto?" Ruby shook his arm, snapping him out of his trance.

"What is it?" He looked around, noticing the dance still in full swing.

"You've just been sitting like that for a few minutes. Are you okay?" Naruto glanced over to see that Weiss had gone.

"Yes I'm fine. I was thinking about… my friend."

"Your fri-" She stopped herself as she realized who, or what, Naruto was referring to. "You can talk to him with your mind?"

"We share the same body, so our thoughts often mingle as well." He whispered, eyes darting around. He didn't want anyone else to hear about him talking to the voice in his head, accidentally or not.

"So… Can he hear me right now?" Naruto nodded.

"As clearly as I can." The music faded as the crowd started to disperse as a more mellow and slow tune was played. Ruby heard it and perked up, looking from Naruto to the dance floor and back.

"You know I can see you doing that right?" Naruto spoke, making her blush. "I can tell you right now that I've never danced a day in my life." He stood up, holding out his hand. "Sorry if I step on your feet."

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"I wonder what they are talking about?" Yang mumbled aloud, sitting down after her long session showing up anyone that thought they could dance better than she could. Ruby seemed to be shaking his arm, or something.

"I don't know." Weiss said as she sipped from her glass. "I don't want to be involved. Normally I would cheer for Ruby, but with Blake involved in this as well, it feels wrong. I don't want to not cheer for her either though. They both deserve to be happy." Yang just nodded as she watched the pair intently. Weiss looked around the room before turning back to Yang.

"Speaking of her, where is Blake? I never saw her leave." Yang tore her gaze away from the two as she too scanned the room for her friend.

"Over there." She pointed. The girl was watching Naruto and Ruby, looking nervous about something. She began to walk towards the pair when Naruto stood up. He held out a hand for a moment before Ruby grabbed it and they walked towards the dance floor. Blake skirted around them in a wide arc, walking back over to Yang and Weiss.

"Hey Blake." Yang gave a small wave. Blake ignored her, settling into a seat and just staring at the far wall.

"Just because he is dancing with Ruby doesn't mean they are together." Weiss said. The least she could do is try and cheer her up. "You can always have the next dance with him." She saw the faunus give a small nod to her words, so she was satisfied.

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Naruto felt out of place. He was a ninja, a protector of his village, not a dancer. He moved slowly in time with the rhythm of the song, looking down at the girl. Her hands were resting lightly on his shoulders as she stared down at the ground. Was she nervous?

"I'm glad you came." She whispered.

"Well I'd rather be here than sitting alone in my room." He chuckled. Ruby raised her head to look at him.

"Have… Have you thought about what I said?" He raised an eyebrow before he remembered the one sided confession. Simply nodding, he averted his gaze from her and chose to look over at the other pairs.

"Do you… Have you…" She struggled to find the right words.

"Ruby." He interrupted her. "I am not sure how I feel about it." As he spoke, the girl lowered her head with each word. "The only thing I can say is maybe one day. There is-" He froze, turning to the building's entrance. Ruby looked up when he stopped, following his gaze.

"What's wrong?"

"I can smell blood." He said. The two broke apart, Naruto heading towards the entrance as Ruby went back to her teammates. The other three watched as he left with a curious eye.

"Where is he going?" Yang questioned her sister.

"He said he smelled blood. I'm going to call my locker and follow him. If someone's hurt he might need help bringing them to a hospital." She said quickly before following the blonde.

"Should we go with them?" Yang asked.

"I'll go." Blake volunteered. "It won't take too long." The other two nodded, watching as Blake exited the building.

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"Naruto?" Ruby asked. "Why are we at the CCTS?"

"The what?" She pointed at the tower, making him look up at the massive structure. "The blood is coming from here." Ruby went wide eyed.

"You could smell it from the dance hall?" He simply nodded. They only took a few steps into the area before they knew something was wrong. The guards that surrounded the building were all on the ground, either unconscious or dead. Naruto checked over the first few he came across to find they were still breathing. He let loose a sigh of relief.

"What happened?" Ruby looked around the area at the fallen soldiers.

"They were attacked." He stood. "Who or whatever attacked them is either in the tower or gone, they wouldn't pass through a heavily guarded area just to move onto another location."

"Wait." She called out. Naruto stopped as Ruby began punching something into her scroll. "My locker will be here in a minute."

"I'll go on ahead." He replied.

"But-"

"Ruby." He cut her off. "I'm well equipped to handle most situations." He flicked a kunai out of his sleeve. "I'm never defenseless. Besides, you said it would take only a minute." He turned, running towards the towers entrance. As she waited, she watched the building for any signs that Naruto was in trouble.

Ruby stood, tapping her foot impatiently as her locker descended. As it touched down, it popped open, revealing her weapon. She grabbed it, giving it a short inspection for ammo before running towards the tower herself.

As she entered the building, she saw the mass number of screens as normal. However, Naruto was not there.

"Naruto?" She called out. She didn't get a response. Stealing herself, she grabbed tightly onto her weapon before walking into the building.

A large crash echoes from her left as a figure slid to a stop in front of her. She didn't recognize the woman, but she looked angry.

"Why are you here?" Ruby turned to see Naruto stepping through a hole in the wall.

"You are strong, I will give you that." The woman snarled before adopting a neutral expression. "You weren't accounted for. I'll have to change my plans." She turned to see Ruby standing beside her.

"Ruby, get away from her!" Naruto yelled. Before she could react, the woman had already tripped her, forcing her to the ground. Ruby reached for her weapon, but it was kicked away quickly. As the woman raised her hands, Naruto blurred in front of them, delivering a swift lunch to her gut.

Ruby could hear the breath leave her as the woman was thrown back. She wheezed as she hunched over.

"I won't ask again." Naruto snapped. "Why are you here?"

"You couldn't stop me, even with the knowing why I am here." A bow materialised out of nothing, her grabbing it and taking aim at the blonde. "I'll make sure you fall here."

"Naruto!" He turned sharply, not realizing his mistake as Blake called out to him. He felt something pierce his thigh and he dropped to one knee, gritting his teeth. The arrow was lodged deeply inside his leg.

"Take Ruby and leave!" Naruto shouted at her, ripping the arrow out of his thigh. He pulled himself back to his feet, gently test his weight on his newly wounded limb.

"I can fight." She said, coming up to his side. He gave hr a sharp look, but said nothing as he formed a few hand seals.

"Get down." He said. "Wind Bomb!" He clapped his hands together, sending a shockwave of air blasting outward. Blake held onto the prone Ruby as they slid across the floor slowly. The faunus did her best to hold onto nothing, but it didn't help much.

The unknown woman was not as lucky. While she was a great deal farther, she was standing and in the direct path of the attack, not even bracing herself as the wind technique hit her. She was buffeted by the strong blast, sent skidding several feet before she toppled over. The force sent her slamming into one of the monitors, halting her progress. Naruto lowered his hands as he looked over at Blake and Ruby quickly.

"Take her and leave." He said, this time with a little more authority. "She is above your skill level. You will only get in the way." It sounded cruel, but it was true. Naruto was holding back a lot, based solely on their presence. While he wouldn't go as far as destroy the entire tower, he couldn't fully use his skills with them nearby. Collateral damage was too high here.

Unfortunately for him, the woman didn't take long to recover. As he spoke, she nocked another arrow, taking aim. Her shot struck home, eliciting a cry from the target.

Naruto's eyes widened as an arrow sprouted from Ruby's stomach.

We stand with you Naruto.

You can defeat him.

We believe in you.

The thoughts of his fallen comrades flashed through his mind as he saw Ruby cry out.

If anyone can win, you can.

A comrade that died early in the fight against Madara.

He said he only trusted you with it. That you would bring it back to Konoha, to his family.

The man whose journal he had in his room.

He almost missed when the arrow fired. Too late to do anything, he pushed the girl's back as the arrow pierced his back. He hissed as the pain lanced through him.

"Naruto!" Blake cried out, holding a crying Ruby.

"Forget about me! Ruby needs medical attention!" He yelled, turning back to face the woman. His eyes bled red as he held up a hand. A blue vortex appeared, churning violently against the edges of the small sphere it was contained in. Blake dragged Ruby back towards the entrance as the woman shot another arrow. Naruto shattered it with a kunai. He took off, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

"Rasengan!" He yelled, thrusting the ball forward into the woman's stomach. She cried out as it ground into her before sending her flying back across the room. The impact against the wall was hard, leaving her to flop harmlessly against the ground.

As he advanced, another figure appeared. Another girl, one with an umbrella. She gave him a small down before grabbing the woman. He flickered in front of them, drillinanither Rasengan into the woman's prone form, only for her and the new arrival to shatter like glass into nothingness. He looked up, raising his nose to the air, but found nothing.

He let out a sigh, reaching around himself and yanking out the other arrow that pierced him. Inspecting it, he let it fall and shatter against the ground. The dance was now the last thing on his mind.

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 _Coming Soon - Chapter 14: Details Required_

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	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I do not own Ruby**

 **AN:** Firstly, we hit 500+ Favorites, 700+ Follows, and we're closing in on 300 Reviews by the time this chapter is uploaded. That's absolutely insane. The support really means alot to mean. Thanks for reading the crap I write.

Next, sorry about how long this AN and review section are. 1200+ words. Call it padding if you want, but i chose to explain some things rather than ignore your concerns. As always it contains important/relevant info, so skip at your own risk.

Many of you seemed either disappointed or had concerns with the last chapter. I'll do my best to explain them here. If it still doesn't come across as a good decision or whatever, then I made a mistake. Wouldn't be the first one and it won't be the last one.

Naruto's power level seemed fairly accurate. I say fairly because I'm sure there are people who would compare RWBY and Naruto characters differently than I do. Keep in mind that he was holding back for fear of accidentally hurting Blake and Ruby in the process.

I never liked his abundant use of shadow clones. He won't be relying in them. If I went with that logic, he could have just spammed clones and beat Cinder, and done the same for any other enemy he crosses. At that point, there really isn't a story for me to write other than "Naruto saw so and so. He made 1000 clones. He beat so and so." In my personal opinion, that's not exactly interesting as far as story goes. If he can't have any problems, then there isn't anything to write about.

The Rasengan hurt Cinder badly. She's out of commission for a while. He only used it once in the fight and it forced Neo to rescue her.

Ruby followed Naruto into the building out of pure concern. While he isn't necessarily as close to her as her teammates are, she still has "feelings" for him and wanted to make sure he was going to be okay. She barely knows anything about his abilities at this point. She has seen his henge in the cafeteria from early on when he was cheering up Velvet, a single fight against Yang, and then his two tailed cloak, though she doesn't even know that that's an offensive ability. There's also him in the classroom, but he never uses more than a kunai and speed. All she knows is that he can beat Yang, is fast, and can do a henge. While Yang is strong, anyone that would be willing to break into the CCTS tower would be dangerous. She has no idea what he is truly capable of.

Blake went in because that's where her teammate and friend were. The guards were not in any immediate danger, otherwise that would have been their priority and the fight would have most likely never happened.

The two never listened to him when fighting because they were worried. You can't say that someone has never gotten hurt in any series of any kind from not listening to a friend. They were more concerned with his well being than theirs, and he more so for them. They weren't raised to follow orders like Naruto was either. If he was ordered to retreat, he would. Even if he complained loudly about it, he would. At least, at this point in his life he would listen to a retreat order. Hunters are trained with teammates and friends, always looking out for one another. They saw that Naruto could be in danger and decided to stay and help. It didn't work out, but I stand by the point I'm trying to make.

Ruby getting pierced was a mistake as I read back. Not the injury itself, but the way it happened. I even said I try and take aura shielding into consideration more and I didn't do it the first chance that it came up. My bad on that.

If that didn't answer your questions then I apologize for my mistakes, but like I said earlier, mistakes will happen and I'm sure it won't be the last. Sometimes I mix things up and something weird gets spit out. It happens to the majority of fanfiction writers at some point. They'll write something, whether in a rush, half asleep, or being incredibly busy, and something or things will be overlooked. Not using that as an excuse, but I am just human, not a perfect writing machine. As it stands, I'm still going to try and look over my work more carefully from here on to make sure things like aura shielding or story continuity are preserved.

If I didn't answer your question, it was either something I accidentally skipped, or something I felt didn't need to be answered.

None of the above is intended to demean anything anyone said in a review, or to make fun of them. I'm just trying to explain my view on the matter. I made some mistakes, and I'll try my best to fix possible ones in the future. Hopefully you will at least be able to understand what I was going for, even if you don't agree with it.

If you managed to read through all of that, thanks for listening and, hopefully, you enjoy this chapter.

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 **Reviews**

 _Pairing -_ This is Naruto x Ruby. No one else will be joining the main pair. I appreciate the reviews, but I already had a poll up early on and I don't plan to change the pairing or add too it. It's not that I hate the idea, but that's not how I want this story to play out. Asking for an addition will not make it happen, it will only eventually annoy me. Saying it's easy to just add another girl won't change my mind because for me it isn't easy to write that.

 _Lemons -_ I don't write lemons because I suck at them and ,technically speaking, FFN doesn't allow them. Even if I could write and post them I wouldn't. I'm not comfortable with posting intimate scenes for others to see. I hope that decision can be respected.

 _Kurama -_ I don't remember if it is a Canon, Fanon, or just from a random story I read, but my take on the Bijuu in fanfiction is this.

They can not die. If their container dies, they will eventually reform at the spot of death in an undisclosed amount of time. As Kurama is formed of a massive amount of chakra, it will take a lot longer to reform than say Shukaku.

Now, seeing as his Naruto is the only source of chakra in Remnant, Kurama would either fade, never truly passing on, but never being able to form any physical presence again, or he will take an incredibly long time to gather up Naruto's lingering chakra to form a body. Even at that point, giw body would be incredibly small and weak compared to his normal self. Think normal fox size, but has some abilities and can talk.

I don't see this as an issue for my story, as I don't plan on killing Naruto, but that's my take on it.

 _Skills -_ Anything he knew before the end of the fight against Obito/Madara he knows now. I honestly can't recall everything he knows off of the top of my head.

 _Time -_ Naruto lost fighting against Madara/Obito. He didn't beat him and did not get to see the war completed.

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 **Chapter 14: Details Required**

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He couldn't shake the feeling of the deaths of those people from his mind. Even as he rushed back to the dance to tell Yang and Weiss what happened. They were concerned when they saw his bloodstained clothes, but after assuring them that he was fine, he told them what happened to Ruby. They left right after.

He wasn't sure how Blake had gotten her back to Beacon, but Ruby was in the infirmary at the academy, being checked over. The wound, thankfully, didn't puncture anything vital and she would make a full recovery.

As the rest of team RWBY surround the girl's bed, Naruto slipped out quietly, heading for Ozpin's office. That attack wasn't one of just pure coincidence. The teachers and students were either enjoying the dance or relaxing because of no classes. It was the perfect time to hit the tower. Hopefully the man would have some answers for him.

The ride through the elevator was boring as usual. The familiar ding as he came to a stop sounded out, the doors opening to reveal Ozpin, Glynda, and Qrow all together, along with another man he had yet to see.

"Excuse me, but this is a private-"

"Naruto, please come in." Ozpin interrupted the unknown man. Naruto walked up to the group, eyeing the man with a suspicious look.

"I didn't know Ozpin had brought another person into our little group. You are?"

"Naruto Uzumaki." He nodded.

"James Ironwood."

"He is the headmaster at Atlas Academy Naruto and the General of the Atlesian Army. He's also a trusted friend and colleague." Naruto simply nodded before turning to Ozpin.

"This attack was not a coincidence."

"I know." Ozpin spoke. "We were just discussing our options."

"Do you know who committed the attack?" The man shook his head. Naruto narrowed his eyes. "That's a lie." Glynda looked surprised as the other two men raised an eyebrow. "I can tell you know. If I am supposed to help you, I can't be left out of the loop."

"You have barely told us anything about yourself." Glynda interjected. "I believe trust is a two way street." Naruto grit his teeth.

"Fine, what do you want to know?" He crossed his arms as he looked at his interrogator.

"Where is it you come from?" She asked. "You have yet to divulge that much."

"A village you wouldn't have heard of." He said simply. "It doesn't matter since I can't ever go back and you couldn't visit it even if you tried."

"I believe they are capable of handling this information Naruto." Ozpin replied. "They believe in what I do." Naruto closed his eyes with a sigh as the others looked confused.

"Can I refuse?"

"You may, but they will better trust and respect you of you tell them." He placed a hand on his for head in annoyance.

"Where should I start?"

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"You are not from Remnant?"

"I am not."

"You came to Remnant from another dimension?"

"I did."

"That's not easy to believe." Qrow spoke. "You might have some weird powers, but that doesn't mean you aren't from Remnant."

"I told you what happened. Whether or not you believe is not my problem." He glared. "I'm not lying though."

"Could you provide proof of your otherworldly existence?" Iron asked. "Something that would dispel any doubts we have?"

" _Do I have anything I can show them?"_

" _ **Why bother? You don't need their approval to go and search for that woman."**_

" _They can help narrow the search Kurama. I'd rather not run across the entirety of this world looking for one person."_

" _ **Not my problem. Though I can always take over and scare some sense into them."**_

" _I don't think that's a good idea."_

" _ **Just saying."**_

"Naruto." Qrow's voice shook him out of his thoughts. "That friend of yours might be able to prove something."

" _ **Even a hairless monkey understands."**_

"I don't think this is the appropriate setting for something like that Qrow." Naruto spoke.

"I think it's the best setting." He sighed. "You aren't going to any info if you keep hiding stuff from them."

" _ **I won't bite."**_

" _You're not helping."_

"Then I want you all to promise that this info doesn't leave this room. I've already had this shown to two people and that was two too many." He closed his eyes, focusing on drawing Kurama's chakra out of the seal.

The others watched as a malicious red substance began to flow from the blonde, slowly covering his entire body. The back end of the aura stretched out into two tail like structures. His whisker marks darkened as his teeth grew into more fang like protrusions. When his eyes opened, they were blood red.

" **The humans want to talk."** Naruto grinned. Glynda took a step back. He turned to Qrow. " **I tried telling Naruto the same thing, but it seems he is particularly stubborn today."**

"Who are you?" Ironwood asked, his stance a little more tense than normal.

" **Kurama. For simplicity's sake, you can consider me a demon."**

"You possessed Naruto?" Glynda asked.

"No." Ozpin spoke. "You are the Kyuubi that he spoke of, correct?"

" **I am."** Ozpin nodded in understanding. He had yet to see the demonic transformation, but he knew of the beast's existence.

" **Naruto is telling you the truth. I have yet to see anything close to what I am in this world."**

"True, but that doesn't-"

" **I didn't say you could speak fleshbag."** Naruto growled at the woman. " **Naruto may tolerate these foolish games of cat and mouse between you all, but I won't. I am not one for waiting. You will tell him about that woman. You will not stop him when he leaves. No one outside of this room will know that I exist."**

"If we refuse?" Glynda asked. It was ridiculous to think they would just suddenly listen to what amounted to a soulless creature because they demanded it. Naruto grinned wildly as the pressure in the room grew to an unbearable amount.

" **I do not know what kind of monsters exist here, but I can guarantee that I will make all of them look like piles of trash next to myself."** His grin faded as the aura began to dissipate. " **Naruto is taking control again. I expect you'll do as I asked."**

The aura vanished, the blinded features returning to their usual state. After a short intake of breath, the blonde looked over the members.

"Who is the woman?" He asked.

"We don't know." Ozpin stated. "I was telling the truth. We have an idea for who is behind all of it though." Glynda and Ironwood turned to look at the man.

"Ozpin?" Glynda asked.

"Naruto told me many things when he first arrived. I believed him then, I see no reason why that should change because of something like this."

"If this Kurama is truly a demon, how can you trust him? He could be working for her." Naruto's growl cut off whatever response Ozpin had.

"I would never work for someone that attacked innocent people. I may not have been the best of people, but I don't think what she did was right."

"That's good to hear." Ozpin noted. "We have no idea where she is at, but I'd be interested in hearing your take on the situation." Naruto looked at the four briefly before settling his gaze back on Ozpin.

"The guards are ineffective. They may do well against a civilian, but any competent hunter could dispose of them easily. Make the students guard the tower. Make it a mission even. They could do better." He received a raised eyebrow from the general. "Qrow and I are capable hunters. I don't know how many others you have working for you, but I would suggest sending out both of us and possibly one or two fourth year teams to investigate the area and look for any evidence of where they could have gone. If we find anything, we should go and look for that woman and capture her for interrogation." The general was mildly impressed. The boy didn't seem like much, but he certainly had a view on the situation he could appreciate.

"I agree." Ironwood spoke. "I could have a team of Atlesian soldiers to acco-"

"No." Naruto interrupted. Ironwood turned to look at the blonde. "As of now, no one except for Team RWBY, us, and possibly other students know what happened. If soldiers started running around asking questions people would panic. A few hunters on a mission isn't suspicious." Qrow smirked. Naruto seemed to like the idea of a roaming army as much as he did. "Stealth and speed are the two best things we have right now. Hunters have both while an armored soldier has none."

"He's not wrong James." Ozpin said. "I don't see any problems with this."

"I believe that sending students out on an assignment like this is a little premature." Glynda interjected, glancing at the blonde. "They are still just students."

"That's all they'll ever be if you don't let them take risks." Naruto replied. "When they graduate, would you rather them have experience in dangerous situations, or go in blind."

"He's not wrong Glynda." Ozpin spoke, sipping from his coffee mug. "I think that's a fair assessment. I'll assign two teams to go with you tomorrow morning. As for the guards, it will take a few days to sort out schedules and the such. Can I trust your soldiers can handle that until then?" Ozpin turned to the general.

"Of course. They are specially trained for combat and will be better equipped than the original guards were."

"Good." He set his mug down. "I believe that's all for now then. Naruto, would you check in on Miss Rose. I believe she will be released later today, but sometimes I worry too much about my students." Naruto simply nodded.

"I'll go with you." Qrow said. The pair took the elevator to the ground floor, leaving Ozpin's office behind.

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"So what happened to her?" Qrow asked as they approached the infirmary.

"I made a mistake and let her get hit." Naruto spoke. Qrow raises an eyebrow at his response.

"So it's your fault?"

"Not completely." He shook his head. "They ignored me when I told them to leave. I still should have done better in protecting them."

"Stuff happens. She's fine so nothing to worry about." Qrow noticed that the blonde's eyes hardened. "I'm sure she'll say the same thing." Naruto just kept quiet as they padded down the corridors.

The infirmary came into view not long after. Naruto opened the door, pushing inside to see the entirety of team RWBY and JNPR sitting at Ruby's bedside. They turned to see who had entered.

"Naruto…" Blake nodded quietly. She felt responsible for the event. If she would have listened to him and taken Ruby away when he said so, she wouldn't have gotten hurt.

"How's she doing?" Qrow asked, approaching the cot. Ruby was lie down with a small smile on her face.

"I'm all good Uncle Qrow, just a little sore." The man nodded. She turned to see Naruto standing behind him and her smile faltered.

"Hey… Naruto…" She mumbled.

"Glad to see you aren't as badly hurt as I first thought. Ozpin sent me down to check on you."

She interpreted it as I was forced here.

"Yeah I'm okay." Naruto simply nodded, standing still for a moment. "Did you find that woman?"

"No." Qrow answered. "We're starting a search tomorrow."

"I want to go." She stated vehemently. Qrow shook his head.

"No can do kiddo, people have already been assigned the mission. Besides, you're still injured."

"I'm fine." She did some stretches to prove she was okay. "See?"

"Ruby…" He sighed before Naruto cut in.

"Ozpin did not assign the mission to you or your team. As the leader here, his word is law." He thought back to the Third Hokage and how he looked up to the man. Ozpin reminded him of the old man in some ways.

"So? She attacked team RWBY." Yang stood up for her sister. "We should be allowed to get revenge."

"You'd go against your superior's orders?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "When that's the exact thing that got her in that bed." Yang's jaw fell open as Weiss gasped. Blake turned away from Naruto as Ruby hung her head.

"If you would have left when I told you to, you'd be fine. Regardless of that, you still wouldn't be coming on the mission. Fourth years students will be handling it." Naruto looked over at Qrow. "I will meet you and the teams in front of the school tomorrow morning?"

Qrow nodded as Naruto turned around to leave. Blake hesitantly stood up and she followed him out of the room.

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"Why are you following me Blake?" Naruto stopped in the corridor as he spun around to meet the startled girl.

"I… wanted to apologize."

"For?"

"Not taking Ruby out of the tower when you said to. If I would have, she wouldn't have been hurt." The blonde raised an eyebrow.

"You have no need to apologize. It was my fault for not doing more to protect you." Somehow that hurt worse than thinking she was responsible. Did he really not believe that they could have done anything? "Is that all you needed?"

"You seen different." She looked at him in confusion. "You're acting like we aren't friends."

"I'm not always a happy person Blake. Ruby was injured and now I am going to find the woman who did it. Now is not the time to be nice, it's time to face reality."

"What reality?" She raised her voice slightly. "That the world isn't as great a place as you hope it is? I know about that all too well."

"I never said you didn't." He replied. "That doesn't mean I should always put on a smile for show though. There's a time and place for that. Now is not that time and here is not that place. Panic is the last thing I want, but you can't act like this was just a minor hiccup in the defenses and pretend it doesn't exist."

"So what?" She glared. "We are just supposed to sit back and do nothing while you go out and find her?"

"No." Naruto shook his head. "You should train. I already told you she was above your skill level. If I wasn't there, then you and Ruby could have been injured more severely. She was lucky enough as it is."

"Just because you're stronger than us didn't mean we don't have the right to go and find her. Ruby is our teammate."

"And she's my friend." He replied swiftly. "You would be a burden and that's something we can't have."

"That won't stop us from going." She declared. "Even Weiss would he willing to bend the rules if it meant catching the woman that hurt Ruby." Naruto narrowed his eyes at her.

"Where I come from, insubordination is dealt with my demotion, suspension, or imprisonment. I'd be more than happy speaking with Ozpin about keeping a close eye on you four." Blake's eyes went wide.

"That's not fair."

"Life is never fair." He sighed. "If it was, I wouldn't be here." Blake just glared at him. "Glaring won't make me talk to Ozpin about letting you four along."

"You can't stop us." Naruto just turned around.

"You don't understand. I'm not trying to stop you." He glanced back over his shoulder. "I'll speak with Ozpin." Blake's glare faded as he walked away, leaving her feeling empty. Arguing had accomplished nothing. Now he was probably mad at her for it. She felt a headache coming on as she turned to walk back to the infirmary. She missed the words that left the blondes mouth when she turned away.

"I'm trying to protect you."

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Sitting back in the infirmary, the other seven looked at Blake inquisitively. She just shook her head. She wasn't up for anymore talking right now.

"When Ruby is feeling better, we should have a team training match." Jaune suggested. "It's been awhile since we've had one."

"It has hasn't it." Weiss muttered thoughtfully.

"That's a splendid idea Jaune." Pyrrha nodded in agreement. "We can set a date when Ruby is well again."

"Sounds like fun!" Ruby cheered. Yang gave a thumbs up of approval.

"What about that woman though?" Weiss asked. "I figured one of you would have already planned on following the other teams out of Beacon." Yang nodded.

"Yep. We just gotta get up really early tomorrow and pack."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Ren questioned. "If experienced hunters are being sent, the mission will most likely be incredibly difficult."

"Yeah!" Nora agreed wholeheartedly. "Even we are ready for that much crazy yet."

"Nah, we'll be fine." Yang brushed it off. "We will just be following for the most part."

"You could get into trouble though." Pyrrha spoke with concern. "What if you get kicked out of Beacon for it?"

"Yeah, you can't just throw that all away." Jaune agreed.

"It's okay, we'll be really sneaky." Ruby smiled.

"I don't think we should go." Blake interjected. Yang gave the girl a strange look. "I don't want to be expelled."

"That never stopped you from running off after the White Fang." Yang chuckled, pushing Blake lightly in a teasing manner. "Besides, no one would know, so there is no harm done."

"I still don't like the idea."

"I agree with Miss Belladonna." A new voice started the group. They turned to see their visitor.

"Professor Ozpin!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Naruto told me you were well. I'm glad to see you feel well enough to take missions." They hung their heads, avoiding his gaze. "He also mentioned some concerns about team RWBY possibly following along on a high ranked mission. I had to come and see for myself if the rumor was true."

"Sir-" Weiss started.

"No need to defend yourselves Miss Schnee." Ozpin cut her off. "I understand why you want to go, but I must ask that you don't. The woman that Naruto fought against is dangerous. She isn't someone to be taken lightly, especially since little is known about her."

"The shouldn't Naruto have more people helping him." Blake fired back.

"He has Qrow and eight other fourth year students aiding him. He is more than equipped for the task." Be took a sip from his mug. "You also seem to underestimate Naruto's abilities." The eight looked confused by that.

"What do you mean Professor?" Pyrrha asked.

"You have seen just the surface of what he is capable of. Even I don't know everything about him. What I can say is that his destructive capabilities surpass my own." Eyes popped wide open and jaws hit the floor as they processed that information.

"You mean…" Ruby asked.

"If I were to fight Naruto with the intent to kill, I would most likely lose. I believe that Miss Rose has seen the large crater outside of the school?" Ruby's eyes grew even wider.

"Naruto did that!?"

"With a single attack no less." He said. "Naruto is one of the strongest people I know. If anyone could take on that woman, it would be him." Ozpin smiled gently at the group. "Let him handle this. You will all have a time to prove yourselves as hunters and huntresses, just not this one." Ozpin left quietly as the eight thought about what he meant by that.

Maybe they were being too rash. Of course they still wanted to find her, but if Naruto was really as strong as Ozpin said, then nothing could stop him. Not even that woman.

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 _Coming Soon - Chapter 15: Trail_

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	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I do not own RWBY**

 **AN:** Thanks for the support. I enjoy reading your reviews and the praise and criticism it has gotten. Sorry this was a lot later than I originally planned it to be out, but at least I did get it out today. Hopefully you enjoy.

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 **Reviews**

 _Diaspared -_ He did underestimated her. It won't happen again.

 _Guest -_ Yeah I worded that a little weirdly. What I was trying to say is that Naruto would be more willing to follow orders than a Beacon student would. He's been trained to do so, where hunters don't really follow a leader per se, but work as a group.

 _DasChinButton -_ No problem. Just wanted to make it clear once more. Awesome name by the way.

 _Amart11 and Amart11's GF -_ Good point about the shadow clones, they really don't work that well. How exactly did he survive as long as he did in the series? About KI, I think that would have made him come off as aggressive. He was trying to get info and he doesn't want to cut his ties with Beacon.

 _NuggetMuncher -_ Thanks :)

 _G100 -_ I have a collaboration story coming out after this one alongside the continuation of Deafening Silence that is a NarutoxRWBY crossover. It isn't Naruto that is sent to Remnant though ;). After that… Not sure. I'd like to do a Naruto x Weiss one, but it would be a while before I did. I have a bunch of other stories planned that I want to write up first.

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 **Chapter 15: Trail**

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The duo stumbled into the large warehouse. Immediately after, a girl rushed to their side, followed slowly by a man.

"Cinder!" The girl cried out.

"Help me lie down Emerald." She winced. Emerald lifted Cinder's free arm over her shoulder as she helped her to a nearby table. The papers were pushed off, replace by the woman's body.

"What happened?" The boy asked, looking over in interest. Cinder wasn't one to go down easily. The fact that she was this injured spelled trouble for them.

"Stupid blonde boy." She grit her teeth. "He used some weird powers I've never seen before." Looking down at her torn clothing, she could see the spiral shaped cuts that were ground into her midsection. "I underestimated him."

"Don't worry, we'll get you fixed up in no time." Emerald smiled. "Now where's the first aid kit?" She mumbled as she ran off for medical supplies.

"Mercury." Cinder winced. "Call Roman here. We need to plan our next step and he's needed."

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As the sun rose over Beacon Academy the following morning, light shined upon Naruto's form. Sitting on a bench in front of the fountain, he waited for the others to arrive. While waiting, he had hoped Ozpin took his concerns seriously. Team RWBY didn't need to follow him.

Blake seemed to be angry at him for that as well. Why, he wasn't sure, but he was only doing what he could to protect them. Even if they hadn't been friends that long, he still didn't want to see them hurt if he could prevent it. Now it was a matter of waiting to see if they followed.

The blonde turned to the side when he heard footsteps approaching him. It was Qrow, along with eight others he had never seen.

"You ready?" Qrow asked.

"Let's go." Naruto stood up, following the large group out of Beacon.

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Arriving at the tower, they found it closed off to the public. Repairs to the inside and structure were taking place and more people would just get in the way.

"You eight search the surrounding area for anything suspicious." Qrow ordered. "Naruto and I can handle the inside." With a nod the eight dispersed, fanning out around the tower. Naruto followed the man into the tower, eyes peeled for anything that the woman may have left behind.

"You fought her." Qrow stated.

"Yes."

"What kind of powers did she have?" Naruto looked over at Qrow as he moved out of the way of a worker.

"She made a bow out of nothing and fired arrows also made out of nothing. The one I pulled out of my back shattered when it hit the ground. If I had to guess, I'd say it's something like glass."

"Glass?" Qrow wondered aloud. "Interesting."

"How so?"

"Never heard of anyone that could manipulate glass before." He shrugged, sifting through part of the wreckage.

"What about illusions?" Qrow turned with a raised eyebrow.

"Illusions aren't an uncommon ability. Blake's clones are a sort of illusion by definition. Why?"

"There was another girl here." He pointed over towards a wall, the same one Cinder slammed into after being hit with his Rasengan. "She appeared next to Cinder. When I attempted to attack the pair, they shattered like glass and were gone."

"Hmm…" Qrow hummed as he pulled something out of a pile of rubble. "I'll have to ask Ozpin about that. I don't know anyone with that specific ability." he lifted his hand up, showing the object in it at Naruto. "Is this one of those arrows?"

"Yeah." Naruto moved over next to Qrow to look at it. "It's definitely it."

"Could you do that thing where you connect with nature to find out where they could have gone?" Naruto frowned at not thinking of that himself.

"I don't know. The scent on the arrow is miniscule at best. A day being swept around and left exposed didn't help it at all."

"Can you try?" The blonde nodded and took the broken arrow shaft from Qrow. Holding it up, he took a brief sniff of the object, frowning once again.

"It's barely detectable. The little contact with her and it being contaminated by everything else left virtually nothing. Finding a similar scent will be hard." He dropped the arrow, walking out of the building.

While Qrow continued poking around inside the building, Naruto took a seat outside of the tower, focusing on the energies of the world around him. He felt himself pull into that familiar state as he opened his eyes, seeing the world in a different light. With his attunement to nature and heightened senses, he should have an easier time finding a trail, if there was one to be found.

Raising his head slightly, he took it the surrounding scents. The musky smell of workers and dusty odor of broken bricks were the strongest. Beneath them were the faint wisps of the eight students that came with them as they moved about the area. Beyond that he could smell the city. What he couldn't find was the woman. His sage mode fade as he stood up.

Qrow exited the tower, heading towards the blonde. Naruto turned to meet his gaze.

"Any luck?"

"Nothing." He turned away from the tower. "That illusion could mask scents as well. If that's the case, then my nose is useless here." Qrow just nodded, looking out at the students he could see.

"You know, Ironwood probably doesn't like you for shooting down his soldier idea."

"Not my problem." The blonde spike calmly. "Besides, I'm focused on finding that woman right now. I can worry about who hates me later."

"Qrow." The pair turned to look at the student that approached them. He held up his hand for them. "I don't know if this is from her, but we found this." Qrow opened his hand and saw the hair drop onto his palm. He squinted as he looked over it.

"What about this?" He held it up to Naruto. The blonde leaned it and sniffed the hair.

"Definitely better than the arrow. I'll need to move around the area to find where they escaped to. After that we can move out." He turned to the boy. "Gather the others and wait here." The boy rushed off to grab the other seven as Naruto began walking off in search of, what he hoped would be, a trail to that woman.

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Ruby sat up out of bed, smiling as she stretched widely. The rest of her team stood and waited as she finished.

"I almost forgot how good it feels to move around."

"Don't get used to it." Yang smiled mischievously. "We gotta fight team JNPR in a few days, remember?" Ruby laughed nervously.

"We'll beat them this time."

""As long as Pyrrha can fight with them, we won't." Blake sighed. "She's just too good. We've never beaten them."

"Well let's change up our strategy then." Weiss stated. "Obviously what we've been doing isn't working, so let's try something different."

"You mean like fight differently?" Ruby asked.

"No. If Pyrrha is their biggest player, we should all focus on her from the start. That might catch her by surprise. Even if it doesn't, it would be four on one for a short time. We might be able to beat her and then we just have to deal with the rest of them." Ruby nodded thoughtfully.

"Okay! We need to get some practice in first though." She motioned for the others to follow her. "Let's go!"

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Qrow waited for the blonde to return while the other hunters in training joined him in front of the tower. He had to admit, the kid had an impressive sense of smell. That paired with the weird ability he had that let him connect with nature and the demon in his body made him one to look out for.

Of course the others asked questions. Naruto was three years younger than them and already a fully fledged hunter. They knew little about him and Qrow knew at least some things. Lucky for him, he avoided all of their questions as Naruto came back around the building.

"I found something." He spoke. "I'm not sure where it will lead or if it's a fake trail, but it's the only thing we have right now." Qrow nodded.

"Let's follow it. If we come up with nothing after a day, I say we turn back to Beacon." Naruto nodded, albeit reluctantly. He was going to find that woman, even if it meant leaving the others behind. "Lead the way."

Naruto took the others to where he found the trail, leading them further out of the city, passing small houses and people. The citizens looked at them with a mixture of relief and worry, glad to see the hunters patrolling, but wondering why do many were together all at once. Naruto noticed their looks and turned to Qrow.

"Have they never seen hunters before?"

"Probably not this many at the same time." He said simply. The blonde nodded.

" _ **You know that woman is probably very injured from that hit she took. She couldn't have gone far. If you leave these humans behind, you can find her within the hour."**_

" _I know, but I was assigned to this mission with them. I won't abandon them as long as the mission is still to find her. If we have to turn back, I'll leave them."_

" _ **She could be gone by then."**_

" _Then I track her from wherever she last was."_

" _ **You should just leave them now. You have no allegiance to that school, nor its people."**_

" _I agreed to work for Ozpin to help this world."_

" _ **A terrible argument at best."**_

Naruto cut off the link between him and the fox. He didn't want to argue right now, he had more important things to focus on.

"It's growing stronger." Naruto mentioned to the others. Their path had led them quite a ways out of the city, but swiftly looped back towards it. "I think they went back into Vale."

"Why would they do that?" One of the students asked.

"Hiding in plain sight." Qrow answered. "No one would expect them to stay in Vale, so it's the best place for them to hide."

"We should hurry, they might be planning another attack." Naruto urged the others. With a silent agreement, they all increased their pace back towards Vale.

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"It stops here." Naruto said, stopping on the outskirts of the city. "I think that illusion can cover scents as well." Qrow stopped next to him, scanning the surrounding area.

"Now it's just a matter of finding out where they went." Naruto nodded silently in agreement. "Everyone fan out and search everything. Empty buildings, houses, stores, whatever they could use to hide in."

With a swift nod, everyone split up, heading out in different directions. Naruto blurred away, intent on finding her sooner rather than later. Enough time had already been wasted by traveling slower than normal.

" _ **I told you to ditch them."**_

" _I'm not gonna argue with you right now Kurama."_ The fox snorted in derision as he retreated back into his cage.

The blonde focused his chakra down to his legs, speeding up his search. The others may be knocking door to door, but if he got lucky, the scent will be present at their hideout.

"Where are you?" He whispered, flashing by the docks. He paused as he landed on one of the piers, turning slowly to look at the nearby warehouse. A smile slowly crept onto his face as he blurred towards the building.

"Lucky me."

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Cinder grunted as Emerald applied the bandages to her midsection. She still couldn't believe that boy had injured her. Where did he come from? He wasn't a student, she would have heard about him by then if he was.

"Is that too tight?" Emerald asked.

"It's fine." Cinder grit her teeth. "Is Roman here yet?"

"Not yet." Mercury answered, leaning back in a chair nearby. "He should be here any minute though. As much as I don't like him, he is never late."

"Good." The woman let out a sigh of pain. That blonde would pay for what he did to her. Mercury tilted his head as the warehouse door opened.

"Like I said, on-"

"Nice place you got here." A blonde walked into their building. He looked around at the crates stacked high against the walls. "Could use some work, but I think it has potential."

Cinder's eyes narrowed as Mercury and Emerald got into fighting stances.

"Now, I came here for her." Naruto pointed at Cinder. "If you want to get in the way, you are not going to like me very much."

"You were the one that hurt Cinder?" Emerald grit her teeth, pulling out her weapons.

"Probably." He shrugged. "Now how about you hand her over and I leave peacefully. No fighting."

"Fat chance." Mercury spat at him. Naruto sighed.

"I tried." He vanished in a swirl of leaves, appearing behind Emerald. As she turned, he sent a kick right into her back, sensing her sprawling. He turned to face Mercury, only to see that he had vanished. Looking around, That woman and the girl he licked were gone too. He placed his hands together and whispered.

"Release." The air shimmered, revealing Emerald and Cinder near the warehouse doors, Mercury not far behind them. He threw a kunai, striking Mercury's leg with a clang. The boy turned with wide eyes as Naruto zeroed in on them.

"How did he-"

"The illusion? I dispelled it." Naruto said simply. Emerald was shocked.

"I have to get Cinder out of here, keep him busy." She told Mercury, exiting the building with the woman. Mercury took a stance, daring Naruto to approach.

"You won't get past me."

"I don't plan on getting past you." Naruto's expression changed from a neutral one to one that spoke volumes of his seriousness. "I'm going to go through you." Naruto disappeared. Mercury raises his arms instinctively, blocking the punch from the blonde. He slid back, pushed outside of the warehouse from the sheer force it contained.

He barely had time to recover as Naruto appeared behind him, swiping his legs out from underneath him. As Mercury fell, the blonde punched his chest, making sure he hit the ground hard.

The boy spat blood out of his mouth, swinging his legs out towards the blonde. Naruto jumped back, turning to follow after Cinder when he heard the blast of a weapon. The shot struck him in the back, sending him stumbling a few feet.

Mercury continued to fire shot after shot from his boots, making Naruto dodge and weave away from them. He dropped to the ground as he began to spin, his shots now swirling in the air around him.

"Let's see you dodge this!" Mercury yelled, firing a final shot as the mass of potentially fatal objects blasted towards the stationary blonde.

The explosion caused from the impact sent up a large cloud of smoke and small chunks of debris. Mercury hefted a sigh, a victorious smile appearing on his face. He began to run, hoping to catch up with the other two when he fell flat on his face.

Behind him stood Naruto, his clothing a little burnt, but otherwise okay. He lowered his fist after striking Mercury in the neck. The boy grabbed his neck in pain as he turned around to look at the blonde.

"How are you not hurt?"

"Because I'm a ninja." He sent a chakra enhanced lunch at Mercury's head, knocking the poor boy out. "Also I'm really fast." He dissipated the chakra as a large group approached him from the other side of the pier.

"Naruto!" Qrow yelled. "What happened?"

"Found the woman, beat up her bodyguard. She went that way with a green haired girl. The girl can use illusions too."

"We'll split up again-"

"No." Naruto interrupted. "I'm the only one here quick enough to catch up to them. You take this kid and inform the guards of the others. With any luck, I'll catch them before you are finished doing that." Naruto flickered away, leaving Qrow and the students to deal with the unconscious boy.

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Emerald hauled Cinder away quickly. The sound of Mercury's weapons blasted in the distance. Her expression turned to one of worry. How did he find them so quickly?

"We need to get to the other place in the city." Cinder spoke. "Roman always has an airship there."

"Where is he anyways?" Emerald asked, turning towards their new destination.

"It doesn't matter. Just get us to the airship." The green haired girl nodded, increasing their pace as much as she dared. "Neo." The heterochromatic girl walked out of a nearby alleyway. "Go on ahead and prepare the ship. We need to leave immediately." The girl nodded and vanished into thin air. As they began walking again, they were stopped by a voice.

"You know, for being able to form illusions quite easily, you didn't bother hiding yourselves as you escaped." They turned to see the blonde standing before them.

"How did you get past Mercury." Emerald demanded.

"I punched him." He spoken calmly, inspecting his hand. "You should really find some better bodyguards lady."

"Why are you after us?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He said. "That woman hurt my friend. No one hurts my friends without consequences. Since I'm feeling generous, I'll give you one last chance. Turn yourselves in, or I will be forced to beat you into the ground."

Emerald steeled herself nervously. If he beat Mercury that quickly and could injure Cinder, she wasn't sure she had a chance.

"Hold him off." Cinder spoke, pulling free of Emerald's support. The girl looked at her in surprise.

"Cinder?"

"Hold him off. Neo and I will come back for you later. If we are all captured, the plans ruined." Cinder hobbled away, leaving a slightly stunned Emerald facing Naruto.

"I… I won't let you take Cinder." Naruto just shook his head.

"You don't understand. You can't stop me from doing just that. You're shaking, so you're scared of me." Emerald forced her body still as the blonde slowly walked up to her.

"Cinder, as you call her, will be taken in. You will be too, just like the other kid. Just move out of the way and I guarantee you will get off easy."

When she fired a shot at his face, Naruto ducked, letting out a sigh.

"This is the last time I try and play nice with you people."

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 _Coming Soon - Chapter 16: Uh Oh_

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	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and I do not own RWBY**

 **AN:** Well we hit 300 reviews last chapter. I gotta say, for only having 15 chapters up, you all are having a field day with that review button. Thanks for the support and criticisms. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

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 **Reviews**

 _S.P. Roy -_ Thanks for the review. You were number 300, so if you'd like to know something about the story just PM me and I'll answer it.

 _hallowcake -_ I didn't even notice that XD. Implied facepalm here.

 _Amart11's GF -_ Don't worry, Cinder ain't escaping. Sorry for the chapter shortness, but that's just how long I like writing them. 3-5k words, not including the AN and Reviews, is what I shoot for so I can try and put out 2-3 chapters a week. As for the quality… Well it wasn't my best work, I agree on that. Not much I can do now but try and improve.

 _Ejammer -_ I made this a point in a past AN, though I can't remember where, but I don't want Naruto to just spam his skills in everyone's face and win. Yes, he is bulldozing through Mercury and Emerald, but when you consider they are probably about as strong as… My guess would be second or third year students when comparing them to team RWBY in canon. At the end of volume two, Team CFVY wrecks shop when team RWBY wasn't faring so well. Emerald and Mercury then took out Coco and Yatsuhashi in volume three during the Vytal Festival Tournament.

To Naruto, hunters are not as skilled as ninja. The best of them maybe being Chunin level in comparison. It really becomes a question of whether or not you plan for the Narutoverse characters to be less, equal, or more powerful than the RWBY ones. I chose more. He will still have conflicts and problems that can't be solved via fighting.

Basically, yes he will trounce certain characters, but some will still give him problems as you all see in this chapter.

 _Ultimatrix bearer -_ I chose yes for both. The way I understand it, releasing a genjutsu set on yourself is done by flooding chakra through your system, forcibly expelling the chakra from the person casting the genjutsu. Genjutsu covering an area, for example, don't affect a single target, but rather cover a specific area. Those can still be dispelled.

I would like to think that Naruto, at this point, would be able to expelled enough chakra to bust through and AoE genjutsu as well, which is what I'm assuming Neo does. We haven't really gotten much info on her other than she may or may not be mute, she fights with an umbrella, and she can do illusions. Feel free to correct me if I made a mistake regarding genjutsu application.

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 **Chapter 16: Uh Oh**

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Naruto placed his hands together in a familiar seal.

"Shadow Clones." A few copies of himself poofed into existence, startling the girl. "You guys know what to do. I'm going after Cinder." The clones nodded as the original flashed away, leaving Emerald a bit confused and frightened.

The blonde, himself, was a bit angry. Now Cinder was about to make yet another escape. Not exactly something he was looking forward to. With an extra burst of speed, he quickly closed the trail between him and the woman. She was still stumbling along as strangers looked on in worry and confusion.

"You seem to be incredibly determined to run away Cinder." He landed in front of her, cutting off her escape route.

"You're a persistent one, aren't you?"

"I think motivated fits better." She grit her teeth, glaring at the blonde.

"You are obviously very talented. I could use someone like you working with me." Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"You mean like your lackeys? Please, I'm already doing that for Ozpin and, as far as I'm concerned, I have far better allies with him."

"Emerald and Mercury? Of course not. You'd be much more useful than they were. I could give you what that old fool can't."

"Like?" Cinder smiled inwardly. He was interested. Even if he proved to be traitorous, getting him closer would be beneficial. Killing him when he's sleeping would be easy enough.

"Money, power, slaves, whatever you wanted. With me, the possibilities are endless. I only need to execute my plan and your dreams will become a reality."

"Really?" He seemed to be in thought. "Anything?"

"That's what I said, is-"

"Naruto!" An angry voice yelled from down the street. Cinder turned slightly to see Qrow and a large group of kids with Mercury and Emerald. "What are you doing!?"

"I think I'm getting a better deal Qrow." Cinder smiled. Naruto flashed to Cinder's side. "Where's our way out?"

"Far end of town. A large warehouse that looks abandoned." He nodded and disappeared with the woman, leaving a slightly stunned Qrow and worried students.

Emerald's eyes were threatening to tear up. Cinder was the closest thing she had to a family and she just abandoned on the other hand was royally pissed.

"Dammit! I'll go after Naruto, you eight take these two to Beacon. Knock them out if you have to." Qrow ran off towards the warehouse Cinder described. He knew the place.

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Training sucked. Especially when it was with team JNPR. They were one of the toughest teams of the year one and two students. While each of them had their good qualities and helped the team in some way, it was undeniably Pyrrha that made it shine. The girl was a monster.

Unfortunately for team RWBY, they seem to forget that every time they fight against her.

Their strategy had actually been working for a short while. Pyrrha was being push hard from all sides and she was slowly losing momentum. The other three did their best to stop the assault, but it wasn't as effective as RWBY's. Only she they all ganged up on Yang, their own powerhouse, did they begin to make some headway. Once Yang had been taken out, RWBY grew worried. In the end it was just Nora and Pyrrha left standing.

"That was horrible." Ruby groaned as she rubbed her back.

"I think you did very well." Pyrrha offered.

"Indeed. If we hadn't taken out Yang early on, you would have had a fair chance at beating us." Ren added.

"We'll get you next time." Yang grinned.

"Can next time be a year from now?" Ruby moaned. "I think something popped out of place."

"Hey, what happened to 'yeah, let's fight!' Huh?" Yang asked her sister. "You were the one that suggested we do it today instead of later in the week anyways."

"That was before the fight." Ruby pouted. As they started the trek back to their dorms, the girl's stomach rumbled loudly. "Uh, maybe we could get something to eat?"

"Oooh, can we get pancakes!?" Nora asked Ren excitedly. "They serve pancakes right now right?"

"Nora." Ren sighed. "It's seven."

"Sooo…"

"At night."

"I fail to see the point. Pancakes are an all day food." Ren placed his head in a hand as they changed direction to head towards the cafeteria. Team RWBY fell slowly behind team JNPR, settling into their respective groups. Even if they were all friends, they still preferred their teammates.

"When do you think Naruto is coming back?" Ruby asked aloud, not comfortable with the silence.

"Who knows how long a mission like that could take." Weiss replied. "It could be months before he finds that woman." Ruby looked over at the girl worriedly.

"Months?"

"It's a possibility." She noticed Ruby's expression and let out a sigh. "I'm sure it won't take that long. Naruto is strong enough to deal with that quickly." Ruby nodded, keeping that thought in her head as they continued towards their food.

"I wouldn't expect him back soon though." Blake interjected. She was all for letting Ruby have that happy thought, but she don't want her getting her hope up for nothing. "He still has to find her before they could even bring her in."

"Are you talking about Naruto?" Jaune chimed in, looking back at their group. "I couldn't help but overhear."

"Yeah. We were talking about that mission he was sent on." Yang answered. "Just discussing when he'd be back."

"For him, I wouldn't be surprised if he got back in a week." Blake and Weiss raised an eyebrow at that.

"I agree." Ren nodded in agreement. "Ozpin told us he was immensely strong. I trust he will be back before long. He wouldn't be a hunter if he wasn't capable of doing a simple tracking mission."

They could all agree with that point. Tracking was one of the easier aspect to being a hunter. Their enhanced speed from training allowed them to cover a lot more ground than a normal person could. Someone like Ruby could cover even more with her semblance. Naruto? Well they knew he could basically teleport so something like that should be as easy as breathing for him.

Maybe he wouldn't be gone as long as they first thought.

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The blonde appeared near the place Cinder described, kicking up dust as he came to a stop. He set the woman down gently before they walked towards the building. They barely made it two steps before Neo appeared, looking very worried.

"Don't worry Neo, he's with us now." Cinder chuckled. Neo gave him a suspicious glare before turning back to the warehouse. Naruto glanced down at Cinder.

"She's not much of a talker, is she?"

"She's a mute as far as I know." The blonde nodded, continuing looking around as they entered the building.

"Big ship." He said simply, pointing at the airship currently stowed inside. "How did you even get that in here."

"I know someone that's… he has many uses." She spoke cryptically. "That doesn't matter now though. Neo, start it up, we need to leave now."

The girl nodded and whisked away to start the airship. Naruto looked past the ship to see the same large containers that were in the other warehouse here. Nearly just as many as well.

"Lot of something you have stored away. I find it hard to believe anyone needs that much of anything." Cinder just chuckled.

"You seem very curious for being a new part of the team." The blonde smiled.

"Of course. How else would I have gotten both of you in a position to take you out." By the time Cinder processed that thought, she was sent skidding back across the floor. She coughed violently as she fell to one knee.

"You…"

"Honestly, how stupid are you to trust me right away?" Naruto snorted. "I honestly can't believe you fell for it."

"I didn't… not fully at least. I was going to kill you in your sleep if you caused me any trouble." She hissed out in pain.

"Not too bad of an idea, but unfortunately you tried it on me." He raised his right hand and began forming his signature move. The blue ball swirled into existence, creating a tiny gust of wind as it rotated rapidly.

"Normally I'd offer you a quiet way out, but you can thank your lackeys for running through my patience." He ran forward, thrusting the ball into Cinder's gut, just as he did in the CCTS.

Only this time, she disappeared in a shattered image. Naruto narrowed his eyes, dispelling the technique and placing his hands together.

"Release!" He turned to see Neo pulling Cinder into the airship. "I don't think so." He formed the ball again, this time planting it into the side of the massive vehicle. The hull was destroyed in that section, shrapnel sent flying out across the warehouse.

Neo stated at the hole in worry. The ship may not take off now. Even if it did, flying it would be massively dangerous, if not fatal.

"I really don't like your illusions." He placed his hands together again. "Release." The image in front of him shattered, revealing the pair heading towards the exit. Forming several hand seals, he placed his hands in a hollow fist near his mouth.

"Raging Winds!" He let loose an incredible blast of wind, throwing several pieces of the shrapnel forward as it rushed to meet the would be escapees. It threw them forward, sending Cinder tumbling over and over. Neo managed to right herself and slid with the gust.

When he let up, Naruto used forward, forming a Rasengan as he thrust it towards Neo. The girl shattered yet again.

"Dammit, that's annoying!" He yelled out. Performing another release, He couldn't find the girl, but Cinder was still lying on the ground for some reason. "Looks like little Neo abandoned you Cinder." The woman's eyes widened slightly when she looked around to see no Neo.

He approached her prone form, sending a kick to her gut. The woman grunted, curling further into a ball from the added pain.

"I'm normally not one to beat someone when they're down, but I can't have you leaving. Quite frankly, I'm not about to go running off on another wild goose chase either." He grumbled, performing the release again to make sure Neo didn't suddenly sneak back to free Cinder.

To his surprise, while he was waiting with Cinder, Qrow showed up only a minute or two later. He must have run pretty quickly to get here in that short time.

"Naruto!" He yelled again, slightly out of breath. Looking down at the prone woman and back to the smiling blonde, he grew confused. "What's going on?"

"I can explain more later. Right now I think we have another person to put away." He nudged Cinder with his foot.

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"So why did you keep me out of it?" Qrow asked the blonde as they approached Beacon, their targets captured. The students were chatting excitedly the entire time, happy about their first big mission. How many other teams could claim they caught three criminals involved with what amounted to terrorism on one mission? All in a day at that!

"I wanted it to be somewhat believable. I don't know how your acting is, but I thought it best to be safe rather than sorry."

"Fair enough." Qrow agreed. A good strategy it was, even if he didn't know it was one until it was over.

"Where are they going?" Naruto jabbed a thumb back at the group.

"To Ironwood most likely. He's got the most secure facilities for people like them." Naruto glanced back at the three for a moment.

"Is execution not an option?" Qrow raised a brow as the students got quiet at the word execution.

"You'd execute them?"

"Terrorism, the willful attack on dozens of innocent guards and several hunters, theft, and I'm sure there is more. The fact that they are enemies of Beacon that are a threat to hundreds of thousands is enough of a reason."

Qrow really couldn't get used to his extreme view of life. He may have come from a place where that was daily, but that wasn't how things were done here.

"We don't execute people for breaking a few things and theft."

"What about planned murder? Cinder confessed to planning my death if I really I'd join her and give her trouble." Qrow narrowed his eyes.

"You sound like you want to kill them." Naruto glared back.

"My teacher had an idea for peace. One where everyone could live together in harmony. There was no such thing as war, hate, or needless death. I planned to keep that dream alive. When you weight the lives of three against hundreds of thousands, which group do you choose to save?"

"The world doesn't work that way Naruto. There will always be hate, death, and war. Killing people to promote peace only makes you more like the White Fang than a supporter of the peace you're trying to spread." Naruto turned away from Qrow and fell silent.

"Don't listen to him Naruto." Cinder coughed. Qrow looked back at the woman with a glare. "He doesn't understand what it means to make sacrifices for a better world." Naruto glanced back at the woman. "I'm working towards a better future as well. My methods aren't the finest, nor do they end without bloodshed, but the world will be a better place when I'm finished."

"Naruto don't listen to her." Qrow said.

"I'm speaking the truth. Naruto knows that." The blonde returns his gaze to in front of him, the stairs in the cliffside now in front of them. "You'll soon see that my plan is the only way to guarantee a better tomorrow."

The blonde ignored her as he began climbing the stairs.

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Team RWBY exited the cafeteria, full and tired, ready for sleep. Ruby led them away, waving a goodbye to JNPR as they did. Poor JNPR had to wait for Nora to finish her pancakes.

As they traversed the halls of the academy, they couldn't help but feel that something was off. Something in the air just didn't sit quite right with them. When they turned the next corner, they found out why.

Nine people were escorting what looked like prisoners through the hall, most likely to Ozpin's office for questioning. It wasn't so much the escorts that caught their attention, but the ones bring escorted.

"That's the woman." Ruby whispered to the others. Weiss and Yan, the only ones that weren't at the fight, nodded grimly as they moved to the side of the hall to let them pass.

Ruby gave a small wave to Qrow, who returned with a small smile before continuing on with the rest of them.

"You know, since they're back, Naruto must be here too." Yang mentioned. Ruby cheered excitedly as Weiss sighed to herself. No schoolwork was getting done tonight.

"Do you think he's in his room?" Ruby asked before heading off without them. Yang just shook her head at her sister before following after her. Blake and Weiss soon followed suit. Who needs sleep anyways?

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The blonde lay quietly in his bed, changed out of his uniform into something more comfortable. Just a simple pair of black sweatpants and an orange sleeveless shirt. After spending a few weeks sleeping in the uniform, he figured it would be a good idea to at least invest a bit into something for him to enjoy.

" _... you think I should do?"_ Naruto asked his companion. They had been talking for the past few minutes about the Cinder situation.

" _ **I think you should stop bothering me with such mundane questions. I couldn't care less about what happens to that woman."**_

" _I was just asking."_

" _ **You seem to be doing a lot more of that now. This world is changing you."**_

" _Did you really expect me to stay the same? Especially when their rules and lifestyles are so much different than mine?"_

" _ **No , I did not, but I didn't expect you to become a needy brat again. Do what you always do and act before thinking. It's worked this far."**_

" _I don't think that can apply here Kurama. If I kill three prisoners, defenseless prisoners at that, it's not going to make me look good."_

" _ **When has that ever stopped you before?"**_

" _Again, that doesn't apply here."_

" _ **... You are seriously pissng me off."**_

" _What? What did I do!?"_

" _ **That's exactly why. You don't know. It's like you're thirteen all over again."**_

" _Hey, that's not fair-"_

" _ **Since when have I ever dealt in fair Naruto? Do I need to spell it out for you? Go. And. Tell. Them. What. You. Are. Thinking."**_

" _You know you could have just said that in the beginning and avoided all of that."_

" _ **... My point still stands."**_

" _Idiot…"_

" _ **Fleshbag…"**_

Naruto sat up as a knock sounded from the door. Not that he didn't appreciate the company, but he literally got back less than twenty minutes ago. Some alone time would be appreciated.

" _ **For what? All you ever do is lie around."**_

Perhaps he could use the company. Stretching for a moment, he moved to open the door. Surprise, surprise, it was team RWBY. He had expected as much.

"Hey." He gave a small wave.

"Hey Naruto." Ruby answered back, looking at his clothes. "When did you get new clothes?"

"A few days ago. Did you need something?" She frowned slightly at his unusual dismissal.

"Is this a bad time?" She asked.

"No it's fine. Come in." He left the door, letting them make themselves at home.

"How'd the mission go?" Weiss asked, straightening her skirt.

"Fine. That girl that made that illusion in the tower for away, but we caught the woman and her two little helpers."

"Did you have any trouble?" Ruby asked eagerly.

"Not really. Other than beating up two of them, the mission was pretty boring." Ruby seemed a bit disheartened by the lack of an interesting story. When you hear about hunters, it was always about the crazy and dangerous missions they took, saving villages and slaying Grimm. The reality seemed to be a bit more down to earth.

"What's going to happen to them?" Blake asked. Naruto sighed quietly.

"Honestly I don't know. It's up to Ozpin now, I've decided to stay out of it." Blake raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Me and Qrow… had a disagreement…" He really didn't want to open that case up right now, especially with them.

"You and Uncle Qrow?" Ruby seemed concerned. "Did you fight?"

"Not exactly, but we have different opinions on how they should be handled." He forced a smile onto his face as he pushed the thought out of his mind. "So, how have you all been?"

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 _Coming Soon - Chapter 17: Interrogation_

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